Blood's Sacrifice
by ShadeDancer
Summary: Sequel to Heir of Blood. Third year with old friends, new friends, new dangers, and befallen tragedy.
1. In Peril

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 1:_ In Peril

Molly Weasley paced back and forth in agitation. She was worried, truly worried, and didn't know who to get in touch with for help. Charlie was off in Romania at the dragon reserve and Bill was out on a job for Gringotts somewhere. The rest of the children were gone from home as well, staying with Harry and Blaise for a few days. Brushing back tears Molly continued to pace before she suddenly halted. Trevor Zabini! Even though the man had been a Slytherin, Arthur trusted him and the man would know something that could be done. With decisive steps now, Molly moved towards the living room fireplace and grabbed up the small sack of floo powder. Kneeling upon the floor the Weasley matron took out a small pinch of the powder and threw it into the fire before she could hesitate.

Sticking her head into the now green flames, Molly shouted, "Trevor Zabini!"

Molly closed her eyes against the swirling green flames, only opening them again in time to see a startled young man standing in front of the fire. The man looked as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes wide with fright as he began to shake.

"T-t-t-trevor," the man whimpered before the name became a full blown yell as he bolted from the room, "TREVOR!"

Minutes later Molly was starting to think that this had been a very bad idea when Trevor came into the room, preceded by the young man she had startled. The man was babbling about green fire bursting out of nowhere and heads appearing in the fire. Trevor calmly took in the scene before pulling his wand and obliviating the young man as he moved in front of the fire to block Molly's face from sight.

"That'll be fine, Alex," Trevor told the young man who was new to the Darkov guards, and pretty damn hopeless, "if you feel you aren't cut out for this line of work then we won't keep you here. We'll mail you a check in a few days for what work you did do. Dismissed."

Once Alex was gone, Trevor turned to crouch down in front of the fire so that he was eye level with Molly, all the while cursing that he had made the decision to have a fire on one of the main levels hooked up to the floo.

"What is it Molly," Trevor asked, "do you need the children home?"

"No," her voice trembled, "oh Merlin, I didn't know who else to come to. Merlin. Can—can you floo over? Please Trevor."

Trevor didn't have the heart to refuse the obviously distraught woman and rose to his feet, "I'll be over in a moment. Move back away from the fireplace."

When Trevor landed Molly wasn't standing in the living room, but he could see her in the kitchen standing in front of a grandfather clock. Molly didn't speak until he was standing right next to her.

"It's been like that for at least half an hour," her voice trembled and Trevor looked at the clock, his gaze sweeping over each hand with a name lovingly engraved upon each one.

Arthur Weasley's hand lay shivering upon mortal peril.

* * *

Arthur had long ago stopped feeling pain, instead now he was lost in his memories. He remembered each child's birth, the first time each of his children had flown, the days when Bill and Charlie graduated, the twins pulling their first prank, he remembered every smile, every cheeky smirk of the twins, and he remembered the warmth of Molly's arms that greeted him every time he came home. He wouldn't make it home this time. Arthur involuntarily flinched as yet another mark was carved into his flesh, perhaps he was not yet quite past feeling pain. In agony Arthur turned his head towards the far corner of the room. There huddled Lucius Malfoy. Arthur had never seen the man so disheveled or afraid, if he himself were not upon his deathbed he would have laughed in triumph. Arthur freely acknowledged that he had made a mistake coming to confront Lucius Malfoy about slipping Ginny the enchanted diary last year. He would pay for that mistake with his life.

"L-love y-you Bill, Ch-char-lie, Perc-yyy, Fred, Gg-george, Ron, Ginny, Mo-molly, Arthur managed to stammer out, his words almost unheard of beneath the dark chant filling the room around him.

* * *

Back at the Burrow the golden hand inscribed with Arthur's name game a final shudder before turning black.

"Noooo," Molly wailed and collapsed into darkness, Trevor just managing to catch the distraught woman before her head hit the floor.

After a moment's hesitation, Trevor carefully lifted the now-widowed woman into his arms and headed back to the fireplace. Somehow managing to get the floo powder into the fireplace without jostling Molly too much, Trevor stepped into the green flames with his burden.

"Darkov Manor, basement," Trevor shouted and was sucked away into the spinning vortex.

Thankfully the basement was empty when he arrived and Trevor had no problem sneaking Molly into one of the upstairs guest rooms before searching out Bill. He finally found the eldest Weasley son on duty and prowling the perimeter near the front gate.

"Hey Trevor," Bill suddenly choked down the rest of his happy greeting at the sight of Trevor's face and instead settled for, "what happened?"

Trevor shook his head slightly, indicating that it was best to wait before going into anything, "you need to get a hold of your brother, use one of the portkeys if you need to. Have him come home. I'll round up the rest of the children and we'll meet in Manuel's study."

Given the grave urgency in Trevor's bearing, it didn't take everyone long to gather into Manuel's study. Thankfully Charlie had been easily found at the reserve and there had been no problem with him taking a leave of absence and portkeying back to the Darkov Manor with Bill. Of course, the worse part fell to Trevor who had to tell the Weasley children that their father was dead.

Trevor had no more than just finished telling his news to the grief-stricken Weasley's when a wail full of suffering shattered the stillness that had seemed to fall over the house.

* * *

A wail of rage echoed throughout the Malfoy Mansion.

"What happened," the voice screamed again "why did the ritual fail?"

"The ritual did not fail," a silky voice said from the shadows.

"You said the blood of an enemy would be stronger than the blood of a servant and that I would regain my body."

"I said no such thing," the silky voice was chilly now with impatience, "I told you that you would regain a body. In order to regain _your_ body a more complicated ritual needs to be performed; one involving blood, flesh, and bone."

The shadowy being attached to the silky voice suddenly moved to the bloody body marked with lines from its dagger and with a wave of its hand the smell of burnt flesh was heard as the wound marks were cauterized.

"What are you doing," the first voice yelled again as the shadowy being lifted the naked corpse and began to glide from the room, "you can't just leave me here, not like this!"

"No," the Being conceded as he returned, "I cannot. But before we leave I wish to return this body. Did you not hear at the end the names it called out? To give it back is the least I can do. I will come back for you when I have finished. My master Malal has invested much in your survival Voldemort, your debt to him is great. He will not tolerate a second failure from you."

Voldemort brushed this aside, he had never planned on repaying the debt he owed to Malal, not that Malal's acolyte needed to know that, "I understand all that, but I wish to leave here quickly. Where is my wand? I will need to kill Lucius before we leave, he has seen too much."

"No," the acolyte denied Voldemort, "he will not die today. This man may very well prove important in the future and will not dare speak a word of what he saw here today. Malal will not allow his plans to be ruined by a mere mortal. I will seal within his mind all that happened today, he cannot be allowed to forget it completely."

The deed done, the acolyte lifted the disfigured child Voldemort had been reborn as and left the Malfoy Manor, a giant snake following after them through the void that opened before the acolyte.

* * *

_Hides behind Harry and a squad of Daggers._ At least I didn't kill off Manuel, Blaise, or Trevor. No killing the author!

* * *

Posted On: August 29, 2005  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	2. Help in the Dark

Looks like I forgot to include an explanation on Malal at the end of last chapter. Malal is the Renegade Chaos God and Voldie's new ally. Malal's acolyte helped Voldie gain that child-like body through the blood shed in the torture and subsequent death of Arthur Weasley. Here is a bit about Malal. More can be found on the web, but this is what I am basing things on for the story, and am cheerfully ignoring anything about Malal that contradicts what I want to do with him:

There is a name whispered quietly and with fear even by the most depraved, the most evil, the least sane of the worshippers of Chaos. That name is Malal . . . the Renegade God of Chaos. To be a follower of Malal is to be a chaotic warrior bent upon shedding the blood of other chaotic creatures. Few men worship such a God; fewer still live long in his service. The bonds that tie master and servant ever drain upon the soul of the warrior, and it is a rare man that can loosen the bonds once forged. The symbol of Malal is a skull, bisected down the middle, one half white, the other black.

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 2:_ Help in the Dark

"I think it would be best if we take her home," Bill told Trevor as he sat next to his sedated mother, "she'll need the familiar surroundings."

Trevor nodded his understanding, "our floo is always open to you should you need it."

"Thank you," Bill whispered softly, he understood Trevor was giving him the time off he needed without openly saying it in front of the rest of his family.

"I'll make sure the way to the floo is clear," Trevor said as he abruptly turned to leave the room, "you'll want your privacy."

After a few minutes Trevor came back to signal the way was all clear and Bill gently lifted his mother into his arms and followed his sibling down to the fireplace and into the floo. Leaving the rest of his family to congregate in the kitchen where Ginny began to make them all something hot to drink, Bill headed upstairs to his parents room to lay his mother down. The room was dark when he entered, but Bill didn't think to spare a thought to why the curtains were closed when his mother usually left them open. Awkwardly Bill shifted Molly in his arms and waved his wand to light a candle so that he could see to put her into bed. What the candle light revealed shocked him so bad that he almost dropped his mother onto the floor. In the center of his parent's marital bed lay his father's corpse, and Bill just barely register something burned onto his father's naked chest before he fled the room.

Not pausing to answer the worried questions of his younger brothers and sister, Bill left his mother on the living room couch and threw floo powder into the fireplace.

"Trevor," he yelled, thankful to see the man still in the study where the floo connection was, "I think you best come over here."

"I'll be right over," Trevor was frowning at the frantic look in Bill's normally stoic eyes.

"We're coming too," Bill hadn't seen that Harry and Blaise were in the room as well.

Trevor went to immediately deny them, but Bill spoke up, "it might be a good idea. They can stay with the Percy, the twins, Ron, and Ginny. I think they'll need some friends to talk to."

Trevor nodded his assent and as soon as Bill's head vanished from the fire the three were stepping through. Harry and Blaise immediately went through to the kitchen where the others were still waiting, Bill having prevented them from going upstairs, while Trevor followed Bill to Molly and Arthur's room. Even though he had known it was bad from Bill's lack of composure, Trevor hadn't expected anything like what he saw. Arthur's body was pale as if there was little to no blood left in it, his limbs and face twisted with the pain of torture, and a symbol was burnt upon his chest. Regaining the composure that had allowed him to survive life in the mafia, Trevor moved closer to the bed and examined the marks upon Arthur's torso. It was a skull bisected down the center surrounded by archaic symbols Trevor couldn't recognize, let alone read. A serpent eating its own tail surrounded the whole thing. It wasn't quite Voldemort's mark, but it was close enough to worry Trevor.

"Make a copy of the symbols," Trevor instructed Bill as he laid a hand upon the young man's shoulder, knowing how hard this was for him, "I'll send for Dumbledore. As much as I would rather not involve him at all, the Ministry will end drawn into this and we'll need the old man's influence to cushion their inquiry."

"Is it Voldemort?" Bill dared ask.

"I think it might be for all that the symbol is not quite the dark mark," Trevor framed his answer carefully, "Dumbledore should be able to give those symbols meaning and Harry might be able to tell if Voldemort was present as this happened through the link he shares with the bastard."

As he went back to the fireplace to send for Dumbledore, Trevor thought back to when he had been told of Harry's link to Voldemort. He had hoped to have been able to prepare Harry a bit more to resist the link after the events of first year, but had never seemed to find the time between handling everything else. He had always thought they would have more time than this before Voldemort resurfaced, if indeed the self-proclaimed dark lord was behind this. Even if Voldemort wasn't behind this, Trevor still had a lot of work to do. He needed to make sure Harry would be ready to face the Dark Lord, needed to get together a force to work against Voldemort. He had been having a hard time trying to track down his old crowd, had put it on hold altogether when he had accepted the DADA position, but now he realized that he couldn't afford to wait much longer or they would never be ready to face any threats that might arise. He should have had a team already ready to deal with this situation without necessitating the need to involve Dumbledore. He was slipping from ignoring the magical world for so long, and he couldn't afford to, not with Harry and Blaise to protect.

"Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore," Trevor stuck his head into the floo.

* * *

Summer had passed slowly for the Weasley's as they dealt with the loss of Arthur. They knew next to nothing about his death. Harry had been able to say that Voldemort hadn't carved the marks into Arthur's chest, but he thought the Dark Lord had been present at the time. Unfortunately, they had not been able to keep the event out of the papers and speculation was running rampant; picture after picture of the Weasley family gracing the pages of the Daily Prophet. The main theory on what had happened was that Sirius Black, who had escaped from Azkaban at the beginning of the summer, was behind the whole thing. They said he had been Voldemort's number one follower and was trying to resurrect his master. The papers were having a field day, and Black had even made the muggle news. Darkov Manor was on high alert as well, Trevor having told Harry and Manuel what he knew about Sirius Black. Harry wasn't sure what to feel about the man who had betrayed his parents and killed thirteen muggle with one curse. If not for Black he would still have his parents, but then he wouldn't have Manuel. It seemed to be a lose-lose situation and so he pushed it from his mind. It was unlikely Black would be able to get near enough to him anyhow, Hogwarts was well warded and almost no one knew where he lived in the muggle world.

Trevor had also started taking off for long periods at a time and had declined going back to teach another year at Hogwarts even though it would allow him to protect Harry and Blaise easier. He was more determined than ever to resurrect his old crowd and he couldn't do that from the school. On the other hand, Vasile and Nara would be accompanying Harry and Blaise to school to guard them; it had taken some work, but Dumbledore had agreed and gotten the Ministry to approve as well.

Thankfully, amidst all of this, Molly was beginning to pull herself back together and her old determination was reasserting itself. After a bit of searching she had been able to use her certification in healing to secure a job in the pediatric ward of St. Mungos, the fact that she had already given birth to and raised seven children gave her the added credentials she needed to qualify over other applicants with more schooling. It had been rough for the family for a while though, since Arthur was no longer there to pull in a paycheck and Molly had refused to accept any money from Manuel and Trevor, nor would she accept their offer of a place to stay until things calmed down a bit.

Yet even though Molly had refused the help, Manuel and Trevor managed to lighten her load by inviting the family over to eat often and gifted the children with things they needed by including them on shopping trips to London. Bill had also been raised to the status of a Dagger and gained a pay raise after completing Trevor's arduous training regime. Yet at the time neither knew that Bill was regarding it as a sympathy handout even though he truthfully knew it wasn't. It had just come at the wrong time for Bill to think of it in any other way. Harry though, seemed to pick up on some of this as Bill had been hanging out with him, Blaise, and the twins and thus ended up on discrete guard duty. After what happened with Mr. Weasley neither Harry, Blaise, Trevor, or Manuel went out of the house without at least one Dagger with them and usually a couple of guards. Yet on this occasion Harry found himself out riding with Bill as his only companion while Blaise was off somewhere doing her own thing for once; it was not a conversation Harry would have broached otherwise as pride was a tricky thing.

"It's not out of pity," Harry decided to go for blunt truth.

"What?" Bill seemed to be coming out of his own little world and was at a loss on what Harry was talking about.

"Dad and Trevor didn't raise you to Dagger status out of pity." Harry reiterated, "given the time they did it, I can see where you might think that, but you know they wouldn't do such a thing. You passed the training in your own right; a training most of the Guards would try for and fail. You know as well as I do that neither my father nor Trevor would raise someone incompetent to such a high position in the clan's hierarchy; it would have meant someone's death. Most likely one of the families as the main job of the Daggers is to guard my father and myself along with Trevor and Blaise."

Silence fell again as the two continued to ride on until they turned back towards the manor with some unvoiced agreement. It wasn't until they were almost at the stables that Bill spoke again.

"Thanks Harry," he said as he swung down off his horse, "I think I needed that."

"No problem," Harry replied cheerfully, "glad to see you out of your funk, especially since I'm the one that has to put up with you."

"Brat," Bill couldn't repress a small grin, swatting at Harry much like he would his own brothers.

* * *

Posted On: September 3, 2005  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	3. New Friendships

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 3:_ New Friendships

"I thought I was grounded," Harry teased his father from where he lounged in his usual chair.

Manuel merely returned the teasing with a glare, "You're not getting out of this that easily, the Clearwater's made it clear in their invitation that your presence would be extremely welcome. The Clearwater's are among are more influential investors and Phillip has had past dealings with the clan. Their daughter knows nothing of this though, and it will fall to you to entertain her during the evening."

"You mean her parents think I would be a good match for Penelope and wish to throw us together in front of society," Harry guessed shrewdly.

Manuel nodded, "that is so, and while I will never force you into a match you do not desire it would not be a bad idea for you to play at the game for a while."

Harry sighed knowing that he wouldn't be getting out of this one, "formal dress? I'm guessing suit and tie instead of dress robes though as at least one of Penelope's parents are muggle, if not both from what I understand."

"The limo will be around in two hours," Manuel dismissed Harry so they could both get ready for the evening ahead, "Dagger Vasile and Dagger Joel will accompany us tonight, but will be relegated out to the gardens for proprieties sake. Should anything happen you are to find them."

Harry understood that his father wasn't necessarily referring to the usual assassination attempts that plagued their lives, but the threat of Sirius Black. Black was an unknown factor with magical connections and was, on all accounts, a threat to Harry. Harry knew his father would have loved to have Bill acting as one of their guards that night so that both on-duty Daggers would possess magic, but Bill would possibly be recognized at the party if spotted and had previously requested some family time for that evening.

"I understand," Harry said formally, falling into the character he would be relying heavily on for the evening, "I shall go get ready and meet you at the front in two hours."

* * *

"I'm sorry about this," Penelope said with an embarrassed blush as the two teens stood around sipping at their wine before dinner, "my parents aren't exactly being subtle about their wishes."

Harry let a small grin slip before he regained his composure, he was starting to realize that Penelope might become a very good friend, "no, they aren't, but the question is whether your wishes are similar to theirs."

Harry's bluntness caused Penelope to start slightly before she decided to be honest, "they aren't. I just can't seem to make my parents understand that my interest lies with a wizard whose family isn't very well off. My parents married for a political match, not for love, and can't seem to understand why I don't wish for the same thing. They keep pressing suitors on me at all these gatherings, have been ever since they deemed me old enough to attend."

"I'm glad my father spared me that," Harry muttered thankfully, "and I think you and Percy would be an excellent match. The Weasley family might not be among the wealthy, but they are a close knit family that takes care of its own and Percy has plenty of ambition to make something of himself."

Penelope and Harry continued to talk through dinner, much to her parent's pleasure, most of their talk centering on Hogwarts and Quidditch when they were sure they wouldn't be overheard.

"Is that Madam Pomfrey?" Harry suddenly asked as he caught a glimpse of one of the guests' profiles."

Penelope followed his gaze down the table, "yeah, and the man sitting on her left is David Ackerley, the muggle studies professor. I'm not sure, but I think the two might be an item. Either that, or they come to these parties together since almost all the other guests are muggles."

Harry nodded and turned back to his food, debating quietly with Penelope about the differences between the magical and muggle world until their desert plates were cleared away. The whole party then moved from the Clearwater's dining room into a small ballroom with private alcoves where tête-à-têtes could be held. Music was already playing as the two teens entered the room and Harry held out his hand to Penelope in an invitation to dance. There were others their age there that they could have danced with, but Harry didn't know any of them and he was quite comfortable talking with Penny; he also wouldn't admit to the fact that he loved to dance and had heard from his father that Penelope was an excellent dancer herself.

His father had told him true, and Harry found himself relaxing even further as the night wore on and remained incident free; in hindsight that turned out to be a mistake, he should have realized that since Mr. Clearwater had clan connections that there were most likely others there as well and not all would have fond feelings towards the Darkov clan. When he first felt the touch upon his shoulder, Harry thought it was someone trying to cut in on his dance with Penny, it wouldn't have been the first time that night, but then the hand yanked him backwards and he felt the cool metal of a gun at his head. Harry didn't move as he was pulled backwards away from the most immediate press of people, didn't know if someone had cried out the situation, but suddenly the room was dead silent as everything seemed to come to a halt. At least, everything was dead silent until his attacker began to gloat.

"I have your heir, Darkov," the man foolishly baited his father, "what price are you willing to pay for the brat's life?"

Harry felt the hand attached to the arm holding him in a headlock fist in his hair as his head was jerked sharply backwards, the gun moving from his temple to just under the right side of his chin. Out of the edge of his vision, Harry could see his father move to the forefront of the hushed crowd, hands out to show he didn't have a gun.

"Let my son go," Manuel's voice was implacable, "and then we will talk. I will not negotiate in a situation where you can end my son's life should your emotions betray you."

"Not happening," Harry could feel the man's head shaking, "I'm not stupid enough to let go of my only bargaining chip."

"Do you really think you're going to make it out of this room alive anyhow," Manuel questioned calmly, and to those who didn't know the mafia leader all that well, it seemed as if he had little regard for his own son's life, "you will die no matter what, but it will be more pleasant for you if my son is safe and alive in my keeping."

"Oh I'll make it out of here," the man seemed to have adopted Manuel's calm, "and I'll be known as the one to bring the mighty Darkov's to their knees. I'll have succeeded where everyone else failed."

Harry was wondering what was taking the Daggers so long to make their move before he realized that the only shot they would safely have with all the people in this room would put a bullet through him as well. Whoever it was that held him captive had planned things out well, yet from the angle his head was tilted Harry could see something his captor hadn't accounted for. Penny was off to his left and had a clear shot at his captor and from her drawn wand he knew she was going to take the shot. The moment he saw Penelope begin to chant her spell, Harry tensed and readied to put in play the reflexes he had honed from childhood in training sessions with Sensei and refined with games of Quidditch. He didn't know what sort of spell Penny was going to use, but he knew the chances of it hitting him as well and also knew that there was a good possibility his captor would reflexively pull the trigger as the spell hit him.

"Stupefy!" Penelope called out, her aim dead on, and Harry flew into action.

The moment Harry heard the spell leave Penny's lips he jammed one foot backwards into his captor's lower right leg while his hands came up to shove the gun away from under his chin even as he threw himself forward. Two gunshots went off, perhaps three, right as Penny's spell hit his captor and Harry rolled into an undignified heap upon the floor with a muffled cry. In mere moments his father was at his side, calling out in his powerful voice for medical attention. It was then that Harry realized that his right cheek was on fire from where the bullet had shot up it, and that hot blood was dripping down his face to stain his father's suit. Harry himself couldn't see the extent of the damage done to his face, but Manuel could see the raw abrasions at his son's jaw line from the gun going off at such close proximity and the slight gouge where a bullet had traveled up his son's gunfire stippled cheek. They were lucky it hadn't been worse, that somehow what should have been a fatal shot had been avoided. Manuel wished the bastard who had dared try and capture his son was still alive so he could torture and kill him again—perhaps even a couple of times.

"I'm a hea—nurse," it was Madam Pomfrey, "Mr. Potter, I had not expected to have to patch you up even before the school year started."

Harry attempted to grin wirily at the mediwitch, but it hurt too much and ended up as more of a grimace than anything else. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Joel and Vasile standing over his captor with guns drawn as one of them kicked the corpse a few times before they finally lowered their weapons. Manuel looked up as they approached, before quickly looking back down as Harry hissed in pain at a particularly sharp poke of Madam Pomfrey's wand.

"He's dead boss," Vasile delivered the report.

Manuel gave a curt nod, he hadn't expected anything else, "Vasile, secure the perimeter and call the car. Joel, you'll stay here with us."

A few minutes after Vasile slipped away, the man Penny had called Professor Ackerley knelt down beside Madam Pomfrey.

"I sealed up the room," he said to her, "the aurors will be here soon to see to the memory modifications. Young Ms. Clearwater is quite upset as well. She's worried over Mr. Potter here, she saw the blood, and she also received a notification about the use of underage wizardry on top of it all. I'm Professor Ackerley by the way, Mr. Potter, I teach muggle studies."

"I'll calm the dear down after I finish up patching up Mr. Potter here," Madam Pomfrey stated briskly, "there's not much I can do, it being a muggle weapon and all, but I can stop the bleeding and stitch it up. I'll also provide you with a salve to help the healing and take away the pain. You're going to scar where the bullet ripped through your cheek, Mr. Potter, there's no helping that."

"Thanks Madam Pomfrey," Harry found it a lot easier to grin up at the strict woman after the salve had been applied, it seemed to have a numbing effect.

"Hmph," her lips seemed to twitch slightly unless Harry was imagining things, "just don't let me see you again before school starts, and even then I don't want to see you. I get enough students to patch up without you making a trip to see me."

Manuel helped Harry to his feet as he thanked Madam Pomfrey as well and Harry noticed Penny standing worriedly a few feet away. Signaling his father with a slight touch upon Manuel's arm, Harry slipped away over to the girl who was clutching a crumpled piece of parchment. He was ready to pass out, but Darkov's didn't faint in public, didn't faint at all actually, and Penelope deserved his thanks.

"Thanks Penny," he dared hug the girl knowing that it was what he would have done to Blaise in the same situation, "things would have been a hell of a lot worse if you hadn't acted."

Penny smiled wanly, "I'm glad you're okay, but I'm scared. The aurors just arrived to do the memory modifications, but what about me. I broke the law and used magic in front of the muggles, and I'm still underage for another week."

"Relax," Harry reassured her, "it was a life or death situation, they can't condemn you for that. There are exceptions for emergency cases. Don't worry about it. Now come on, let's go talk with the aurors and set things straight. I know your parents will be there and we can get my dad, Madam Pomfrey, and Professor Ackerley to back up our story. It'll be alright."

It was a good hour later before things were straightened out, the body taken away, and the memories of the muggles modified. By that time Harry was ready to drop. His adrenaline had long been spent from the encounter and his cheek was starting to throb again beneath the bandaging and salve. They had to wait until Joel's memory was modified though, before they could make their getaway to the limo Vasile had waiting. As Harry stumbled out to the limo, he could have sworn he saw a pair of eyes gleaming out at him from a bush, but then the door closed behind him and Harry put it from his mind and fell into a fitful sleep on the ride home.

* * *

Posted On: September 12, 2005  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	4. Diagon Alley

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 4:_ Diagon Alley

"You can't ban me from going to Diagon Alley," Harry protested to his father, "you yourself said I wasn't grounded anymore and promised the other week I would be allowed to go."

"That was before the attack last week," Manuel stated calmly, "and before you made headlines in the wizarding world. I'm just glad those aurors didn't pay any attention to the Darkov name and discover that we're a mafia family, passing the whole attack off as you being the boy-who-lived."

"He was a muggle, no one seeking revenge for him will be likely to show up in Diagon Alley," Harry tried to reason, "and you know I can take care of myself. Given another minute for either Joel or Vasile to get into place and I could have freed myself without worry of someone else getting hurt. Besides, like you said, the wizarding world thinks it nothing more than some wacko trying to get money by attacking the boy-who-lived."

"And what about this Sirius Black, a convict convicted of murder who escaped from a supposedly inescapable magic prison? The chances are too high that he's after you."

"Even Trevor said it's not likely Black will show his face in Diagon Alley, which is being patrolled by aurors, and we'll have Vasile and Nara with us," Harry said, "besides, I've already made plans to meet with the Weasley's and Penny outside of Gringotts and am not going to renege. Please let me go."

"For someone who wasn't interested in being matched with Miss Clearwater," Manuel suddenly teased, giving in to the teen that had basically been confined to the grounds all summer because of the danger and being under restriction, "you certainly seem to keep in touch with her quite a lot since the dinner. And here I thought Blaise would have been the one to become my daughter-in-law."

"Dad," Harry groaned, blushing, "Penny's just a friend, one that happened to help save my life when she could have gotten in major trouble for it. Besides, she's interested in Percy and Blaise is like a sister to me, a partner in crime."

Manuel just smirked and Harry decided to flee—uh, leave—the room before his dad came up with any other farfetched ideas. Trevor walked into the study right as Harry decided a tactical retreat was in order and watched the young heir leave with amusement shining in his eyes.

"What did you do to the poor boy now, Manuel?" Trevor shook his head in mock consternation as he turned to face his friend.

"Me?" Manuel held up his hands, palms out, in a gesture of innocence, "I didn't do a damn thing."

"Why don't I believe that," Trevor muttered, before turning to the matter that had brought him there, "we're all set. Albus has agreed to our proposal to allow Vasile and Nara to accompany Harry and Blaise to Hogwarts as bodyguards because of the backing I received from the Board of Governors. It seems they will not be the only new security measure at Hogwarts this year, though he would not tell me what the other measures were. I do take it that he is not happy about whatever it is though."

Manuel sighed, "I wish we had more witches and wizarding allies. Harry and Blaise seem so exposed when in the magical world."

"I'm working on it," Trevor assured Manuel, "but it's hard to track down these people when they don't want to be found. I do have another lead to follow and will be gone for the next week. I should be back in time to accompany you all to King's Cross on the first. I'll be leaving within the hour."

Manuel nodded his acceptance. He knew he could command Trevor to stay at the Manor or to resume teaching at Hogwarts this year and that the man would obey, but he wouldn't. Their friendship ran deeper than that. He just hoped that Trevor wasn't getting in over his head as he set about trying to gather back together what he called his Old Crowd. He also wished Trevor could have waited to take off until after the trip to Diagon Alley that afternoon.

* * *

"Penny," Harry called, waving the girl over to where he stood upon the steps of Gringotts bank, "over here."

"Hey Harry," the seventh year called out as she came over, "you're looking better. You didn't scar up too badly from the other night, but it's still really red looking. It is better, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Harry smiled briefly and gestured to the glaring girl at his side, "this is Blaise, as you already know. We're still waiting for the Weasley's to show up, but they should be here soon."

Penny smiled at Blaise, seemingly not aware that the other girl was suddenly viewing her as a trespasser upon her territory, "hi Blaise, it's nice to actually meet you. Harry spoke highly of you during the dinner the other night; he told me how close you two are, it must be great."

Or perhaps Penny did know how Blaise was feeling, Harry thought, she was going out of her way to reassure Blaise that she knew her order in the scheme of friendship. Perhaps this would work out after all. He genuinely wanted to be friends with Penny, but he and Blaise had been a duo for so long that he had been a little worried on how things would work out. The twins had been easy to work into the scheme of things, they were so light-hearted and fellow pranksters; the rest of the Weasley's had just sort of fallen in with them even though they didn't interact as much with Ron, Ginny, Percy, or Charlie. Bill fell into a category all his own, both friend and protector.

"Oi!" A cry came from off to their left, "there they are."

Before they could prepare themselves, Harry and Blaise found themselves being caught up by the twins who twirled each of them around and just generally acted as if they hadn't seen each other in forever. The twins had finally seemed to regain their old spirit and were acting out just as much as ever. Harry was just glad that Vasile and Nara knew the twins by sight even though they had never actually met, it could have been awkward if not.

Harry slipped free of Fred's hold and grinned at the Gryffindor beater while Blaise struggle in George's hold, obviously not wanting to use any hurtful tactics to free herself, "you act as if you haven't seen us all summer."

But Fred wasn't really paying all that much attention to what Harry was saying, "what happened to your face, mate?"

George stopped fooling around with Blaise as the others looked closer at Harry's cheek where it was starting to scar over. Belatedly Harry realized that they wouldn't have known what had happened since they had stopped reading the paper since their father's death kept making the news.

"Yeah mate," George echoed, "what'd you get into a fight with."

"I got shot at," Harry said with a shrug, knowing that with the Weasley's the truth was better than some fictional story; they had seen the Manor, had met and pranked many of the Guards.

Percy frowned, "what kind of spell would leave a wound like that?"

Harry almost laughed, even after spending time in the muggle world, most of the Weasley's still thought in terms of magic first and foremost, "it wasn't a spell, it was a gun."

His answered spurned a lot of questions which lead to Harry and Penny having to give an accounting of what had happened at the dinner party before any of the others were satisfied. Harry and Blaise also found themselves trying to explain how a gun worked. The Weasley's had seen guns before, but only Bill knew how to use one or had ever seen one used, and Harry finally promised that someone would give them a demonstration later so that they could get on with their shopping. More questions would have probably followed, but Vasile decided to show himself just then.

"We really should get on with the shopping, sir," Vasile said, addressing Harry formally, "your father does want you all home by dinner after all."

"Alright," Harry agreed, glad the questions had been stopped temporarily, "we should probably hit the robe shop first and then we can split up and do whatever."

Everyone agreed with the plan and the twins moved so that one of them was on either side of Vasile.

"Hello my good man," Fred began.

"We don't believe we've met," George continued.

"Fred, George," Harry decided to interrupt, "you don't want to mess around with Vasile. Come to think of it, you don't want to mess with Nara either. Prank them, and I can guarantee they'll find some way to make you regret it."

" Nara?" the twins coursed together.

"Boo!" Nara growled lowly in Fred's ear, causing him to jump and turn.

Nara had slipped from the shadows and stood there confidently, a wolfish smirk of amusement on her face. The twins shared a glance and Harry knew they wouldn't be trying to prank the two guards anytime soon. They also looked at Blaise like she was insane when the girl walked up to Nara and linked their arms together. Harry would have done the same, Nara was like a big sister to both him and Blaise, but knew Nara would want at least one arm completely unencumbered and so refrained. Instead he gallantly offered his arm to Penny, much to Percy's consternation, and the group set off. Bill brought up the rear, the big brother watching over the rest of the group, but Harry knew it was really to keep an extra eye out for attacks.

* * *

"Your parents said that it was okay for you to stay the weekend and catch the train to Hogwarts with us?" Harry asked Penny as they finished off their shopping trip with butterbeers at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yeah," Penny remarked, "they were ecstatic about it, even considering what happened at the party. I believe I heard them saying something about how their plans were going to turn out after all. Mom will be sending my trunk over via floo later."

Harry snorted in amusement as he played with his new pet, "let them believe it if they want, it'll buy you some more time at least since I'm four years younger than you. My father will keep them from offering any formal settlement until I'm of age."

Penny grinned, "and by the time you turn of age Percy should be well set in the Ministry and your father can turn down the settlement, setting me free. Now, what did you think of that new Firebolt? I'm going to try and convince my parents that it would be a good investment to buy me one. What about you?"

"The car's out front," Nara seemed to appear next to Harry out of nowhere, cautiously keeping her distance from Harry's new snake and reliving him of the need to answer, "are you ready to leave?"

Harry nodded and called the rest of the group together so they could head out to the limo after Nara and Vasile motioned that the street was safe. The Weasley's went first, followed by Penny with Harry and Blaise bringing up the rear with Vasile and Nara flanking them. All the while Harry petted the smooth head of his silver and gold snake, the same one he had spoken with the summer before his first year. It hadn't grown much in the two years since then and its slim body was comfortable wrapped around his left bicep with its head resting upon his shoulder. He wanted to speak with the little creature, but knew it unnerved his friends and so had stopped. Harry smirked, purchasing his new pet hadn't been the only highlight of the day, the other had occurred in the pet store as well though. He had run into Hermione Granger as he was heading up towards the manager to pay for his snake, she had been getting ready to purchase a squashed-face cat with a sour looking disposition.

"Harry—," Hermione had begun before trailing off, "what happened to your face?"

Harry couldn't resist, he had to see her reaction considering what she knew.

"I was shot, Granger."

"Shot!" Hermione was aghast.

"Yeah," Harry lowered his voice, "but don't worry, the guy was taken care of."

Harry had left Hermione standing in the middle of the pet store, squeezing her pet tightly as she tried to work out if he had just admitted to killing someone or not. She had still been standing there when Harry had walked out of the Magical Menagerie, the proud owner of a new snake.

* * *

Posted On: September 21, 2005  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	5. Muggle Culture

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 5:_ Muggle Culture

"Well, come one," the twins were all excited, "show us already!"

Sighing, Harry was starting to wish he had never promised to show the Weasley's and Penny the firing range, but then again he hadn't seen any of the Weasley's this excited all summer. At least his dad had the foresight to clear everyone out of the range before giving permission for the tour. Vasile and Trevor would be along in a minute to give a demonstration; Manuel was too busy with paperwork, much to his disgust. Harry paused with his hand on the door leading to the separate building that housed the firing range, extra weapons storage in an underground bunker leading to the house via the tunnels, and various bits of gear they kept handy in case the house was ever compromised.

"Ask before you touch anything," Harry stressed the warning, glad Bill was along with them to keep the twins in line, "Madam Pomfrey isn't here to reattach any limbs you might blow off."

Harry knew he was overstating the danger, the Guards had made sure to remove all but the most basic weapons, but he was a bit worried about the grins the twins had been wearing. Taking a deep breath, Harry took out the key pass needed to unlock the door and typed in the pass code as his left palm was scanned by the sensor hidden in the door itself; the whole setup was straight out of one of the Darkov labs. Thankfully the Weasley's, minus Bill, wouldn't realize anything about the security, but Penny had an odd look on her face. Harry wondered how long it would be before she started drawing conclusions and confronted him. He figured he had a little bit of time because Penny wasn't the naturally suspicious type and would make sure she had enough facts before making accusations; she was a Ravenclaw after all. The door clicked open beneath Harry's hand and he lead the group inside the building, flicking on the lights as he went.

"It's kind of empty," one of the twins chimed up, looking around at the few gun cases on the walls and the targets at the end of the shooting lanes; the Guards had really been thorough on cleaning the place out.

Harry shrugged, "you don't want the place cluttered up, you need room to shoot the guns at the targets without other people getting in the way."

"This would be a good place to practice spell accuracy," Charlie spoke up, "do the targets stay in the same place the whole time?"

"We can set them up to move," Harry moved over to a set of controls for the first lane, "you, Bill, Penny and Percy can shoot spells at the targets if you like while we wait for Trevor and Vasile since you're all of age. Just make sure you can undo whatever you hit the target with so that no one sees anything strange."

Within a few moments, Harry and Blaise had four of the lanes open for the spell practice and stood back to watch as the four adults practiced on the moving targets. They of course knew that Bill was a crack-shot, but were surprise at how well Percy did in dueling the target; they had always pegged him more of a book person. Charlie was good as well, but obvious used to aiming at bigger targets. Harry was gratified to see that Penny was a good aim as well; he had occasionally wondered what would have happened that night at her parent's party if she hadn't hit his captor dead on, but hit him instead.

"Well," Vasile spoke up from behind the group, startling at least half of them, "at least they have good aim, so we won't have to worry about them shooting each other by mistake."

Trevor made a noise of dissent, "spells are one thing and guns are another, but we don't have to worry about that just now. They need to learn gun safety first before we even allow them to pick up the air guns."

At hearing these dreaded words, Harry and Blaise tried to sneak away, only to be stopped by Trevor's hands on their shoulders, "it won't hurt you two to stay and have a lesson as well, and they are your friends."

Harry and Blaise groaned but dutifully gathered around the table where Trevor and Vasile were going to instruct the group on gun safety. It suddenly looked to be a very boring afternoon.

* * *

"That was boring," Ron complained as they finally managed to escape the firing range, "I didn't understand half of what they were saying."

Fred nodded, "it was boring, but only until Trevor and Vasile showed us how to shoot."

"Would guns work at Hogwarts?" George mused for both himself and Fred, "we could probably put them to use in a prank somehow. Or enchant them to do something different."

"Don't even think about it," Harry warned, "you are not going to enchant a real gun to do anything. I'll get you two a paint-gun, or better yet, some water-guns that you can mess around with; those aren't deadly to fool with and can be used for pranks. I think we have some up in the house."

"Why'd they show us how to shoot when they won't let us shoot," Ron had ignored everything else and was still complaining.

Harry stifled a sigh, "they showed you because we couldn't explain to you what a gun was and how it worked. And if you didn't understand what they were saying it's a good thing Trevor isn't going to let you shoot yet. It's scary how little most wizards know of muggles and muggle things."

Percy nodded gravely, "I've taken Muggle Studies, but even after spending time here with your family I still don't understand a lot of the things around me."

"That's because witches and wizards have a biased view of muggles," Blaise looked to be about half asleep, "they don't realize how advanced muggles really are just because they don't possess magic, and yet the wizarding world hides from the muggles for fear of being destroyed by them. It's hypocritical."

"We don't fear being destroyed by them," the twins assumed a mock-affronted air, "for we are almighty wizards!"

The whole group burst into laughter at the twin's antics and an impromptu game of tag was started up as they raced for the house.

* * *

"Hey Harry!" The twins cornered him after dinner, "what was it you were saying about water-guns earlier?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "I haven't even had a chance to look for them yet, but I guess now is as good a time as any. Come on."

Leading the way into the family wing of the house, Harry headed for a room the twins hadn't entered before and they took time too look around as Harry rooted through a wooden chest in the corner.

"What's this room?" The twins were intrigued by all the things that lay scattered about, the looks on their faces were like those of children let loose in a candy shop.

Harry looked up, amused, as he finally found the water-guns.

"This used to be my playroom. Well, mine and Blaise's," Harry amended the original statement as he saw the twins glance with suspicious eyes at the handful of dolls scattered in one corner; he couldn't remember the last time Blaise had ever even picked one of them up except to use as a hostage in a war game, "now we just keep games and stuff in here so that we know where they are."

"What sort of game is that?" Fred had picked up what looked to be the remains of the battleship game the Guards had blown up a few years ago.

"Don't worry about that," Harry said hastily, he wasn't about to tempt fate and teach the Weasley twins the joy of muggle explosives, "I found the water-guns."

Deciding it was best to get the twins out of the playroom; Harry led them to one of the bathrooms off the hall and gave them a crash course on filling and shooting the water-guns. Then, after making the twins swear that he wouldn't be a target, he left them talking about enchanting the water-guns to be ever-filling while they headed off to take up sentinel at a shadowy corner of the stairs and wait for a target.

It couldn't have been more than five minutes later when Harry heard Vasile's distinctly pissed off voice cursing every God in the heavens and the twins yelling, "run for our life!"

Harry chuckled softly as Blaise came to see what was going on, "the rest of the summer is certainly going to be interesting; we _did_ warn the twins not to mess with Vasile."

* * *

Posted On: October 10, 2005  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	6. Security Measures

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 6:_ Security Measures

"Harry," Nara appeared next to him, speaking informally as only Blaise was there to hear her since Penny and Percy had gone off to the prefects compartment and the rest of the Weasley's had disappeared to meet up with their friends, "I couldn't find an empty compartment. The only one nearly empty is at the end and has a man sleeping in it. His briefcase bears the stamp R. J. Lupin. Do you know him?"

Harry knew the decision was being left up to him in the absence of his father, Manuel had unfortunately had business to attend to that he could not put off, he also knew Nara and Vasile would not be too happy with his decision, "no, but we'll take that compartment anyhow. I'm sure everything will be fine unless you saw something about the man that makes you think he would be a threat?"

"No sir," Nara suddenly grew formal, showing her deference to his decision, something Harry hoped she would stop doing quickly, "I will also remain with you in the compartment while Dagger Vasile prowls the train."

"Wolf Nara would do well to drop the use of our ranking titles except when addressing our little boss," Vasile admonished Nara lightly as he came up to the waiting trio, "the wizards do not know we are anything other than hired bodyguards and it is to stay that way. I also spoke with the conductor. The man is the new Defense teacher and so in theory should present no threat to the young sir or miss."

In tandem Harry and Blaise stuck out their tongues, "you can drop the sir and miss already. It's a pain in the ass to answer to and makes everything so formal."

Vasile raised an eyebrow, "but we're supposed to be employed by your father as hired guards, which is our job anyhow, and we aren't supposed to know each other enough to be on familiar terms."

Harry rolled his eyes as he headed to board the train behind Blaise, "fine, then as your boss I'm ordering you to call me Harry and Blaise, Blaise."

Nara couldn't help it and gave a wolfish grin, "whatever you say little boss."

Harry glared at her, entered the compartment she indicated, and slammed the door in her face before adding a locking charm to it. The charm most likely wouldn't take her long to get through, but he knew Nara well enough to know that she would be fretting the whole while about Blaise and himself being in a compartment with some stranger while she was barricaded on the outside where she couldn't easily help should the need arise. Through the door, Harry could hear Vasile wish her luck before heading down the corridor to begin his sweep of the train.

* * *

Nara was still scowling at Harry when the train began to slow down a few hours later.

"Are we there?" Nara asked, standing to stretch muscles grown cramped during the ride, "from the briefing Trevor gave me I thought we had a few more hours left."

Harry glanced out of the dark window, then down at his watch with a frown, "it's too early to be at Hogsmeade yet."

"Something's wrong," Vasile had burst into the compartment and secured the door behind him, "we're stopping, but not by the conductors will. It seems the train is going to be boarded. Harry, Blaise, I want you down on the floor. Nara, by the window."

Harry and Blaise dutifully crouched upon the floor with both guns and wands at the ready as the rain and wind lashing the train seemed to grow in ferocity. The train came to a halt with a sudden jolt and the compartments were suddenly plunged into darkness.

Harry felt Blaise knock into him as the train stopped and steadied her as Vasile spoke to them quietly, "stay still and keep down. I'm not going to make any light to give whoever's out there an easier target. Be ready."

Suddenly the door rattled and Harry could sense Vasile and Nara both tense, only to relax again when they recognized the voices outside, "Oi! Let us in! Harry? Blaise?"

Vasile cursed lowly under his breath and Harry couldn't help but grin even when some unknown danger could currently be coming closer; Vasile still hadn't forgiven the twins for squirting him with water-guns over the summer. Reluctantly Vasile removed his spells and opened the door, moving back quickly as the twins stumbled in with Percy, Penny, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.

"Great!" Nara hissed as she was squashed up against the window, "now there's no room to move at all. Put that light out girl!"

"Who's that?" Hermione questioned even as she extinguished her wand tip, "I didn't think there were any adults on the train except for the conductor and trolley lady."

"Be quiet!" Vasile warned as he pushed Penny to the ground next to Harry and Blaise and shoved the others into the empty seats; from the sound of it, Hermione ended up on one of the Weasley boy's laps.

"Quiet," a hoarse sounding voice spoke suddenly, reiterating Vasile's command; it appeared their sleeping companion had woken.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Nara shift so that her wand was trained on the stranger, but Vasile didn't turn from his guarding of the door.

"Don't move," Nara warned the man as he shifted, "I don't know who you are and therefore don't trust you."

"My name is Remus Lupin," the man said in the same hoarse voice, "I'll be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. I was merely going to conjure some light. Perhaps you would care to introduce yourself as there shouldn't be any more adults on this train besides myself and the Express' personnel."

"No light," Vasile interrupted lowly, "now shut up. Some thing's out there."

The door slid open despite the fact that Vasile had both locked and warded it and even though his eyes had adjusted to the dark, Harry could just barely make out the cloaked figure the towered to the ceiling. The thing's face was completely hidden beneath its hood, but a slimy gray and scabbed hand protruded from the cloak as if the thing beneath it had decayed in water. With a suddenness that said the creature had been aware of Harry's scrutiny of its hand, the hand disappeared within the folds of the cloak. The horrible creature before them then drew in a long, slow, rattling breath that sucked all warmth from the compartment, from their very skin and beyond. It was as if the creature was trying to devour more than air as it drew in that breath and suddenly memories started to flash through his mind, horrible memories, and he knew Blaise was reliving her own as her hand clenched in a death grip around his own:

_Sampson threatening Blaise… _

_The assassin pinning him to the floor, helpless… _

_A gun, pointed at his unsuspecting father's back… _

_The wall swinging closed to leave them in darkness… _

_Code Black… _

_Quirrell holding onto a struggling Blaise… _

_Blaise lying so still, petrified…_

On and on the memories went, yet somehow Harry remained aware enough to hear as Vasile and Nara shouted off curses to repel the creature even as their faces twisted with their own torment.

_A flash of green light… _

_A woman screaming…_

Harry suddenly felt warmth upon his chest where his dream catcher and dragon pendant lay, suddenly glowing softly. Not thinking, Harry drew a knife, the warmth traveling from his chest down to his arm as he lunged at the creature. Professor Lupin saying something, shouting a spell that produced a white mist. The dagger sliced through the folds of the creature's cloak, Harry couldn't tell if it had done any damage, but the white mist was hovering between him and the creature now, keeping it back.

"None of us are hiding Sirius Black beneath our cloaks," Lupin spoke again, forcing more power into his spell, "now go."

Surprisingly the creature left and the shield of white mist disappeared.

"What the hell was that," Harry questioned Vasile.

"It was a dementor," Lupin was the one to answer as he began to hand out pieces of chocolate, the man was surprisingly calm considering both Vasile and Nara had their wands pointed at him, "one of the dementors of Azkaban. They will be guarding the school this year until Sirius Black is apprehended. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with the conductor. Eat the chocolate, it'll help. It's not poisoned."

"I'll be the judge of that," Nara snarled, her previous helplessness at driving the dementor away manifesting itself in anger.

Lupin merely shrugged and left the compartment, Vasile suspiciously following behind him. After they left, Nara checked the chocolate over for poison or enchantments before allowing anyone to take a bite, although Ron had already practically swallowed his whole before she could. Thankfully Hermione seemed to have forgotten her earlier question about Vasile and Nara's presence and was more interested in flipping through some book for information on dementors.

"Are you okay," Nara crouched down next to Harry and Blaise who were now sitting comfortably on the floor as all the seats were taken; they both knew why she was asking, she knew the memories they had.

Harry glanced at Blaise before answering, the chocolate was starting to help and his amulets were still faintly warm against his skin, "I think we're fine. Memories can't hurt us, not when we've already survived the real thing, but it was uncomfortably unexpected."

Nara nodded and stood, taking up Vasile's earlier post by the door. Sometime earlier the lights had come back on and the train was once again moving, yet no one in the compartment felt much like talking until Vasile and Professor Lupin came back.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in less than ten minutes," Lupin announced as Vasile and Nara softly conferred with each other, most of their conversation made up of hand gestures that Harry half-heartedly followed, "are all of you alright?"

They all made some sort off sound indicating that they were alright before Harry rose to his feet, stretching out his muscles to get circulation flowing back into his limbs as the train started to slow as they finally reached Hogsmeade Station. In single file the group emptied themselves from the compartment after a bit of pushing and shoving to get room to stand, Harry and Blaise were immediately shuffled off into a carriage by Vasile and Nara, Penny along with Percy and the twins managing to climb in at the last second. The moment the door was shut, the carriage was off, pulled by creatures Harry now knew to be Thestrals. As they passed through the gates leading to Hogwarts, Harry's pendants flared briefly into warmth and he saw two more of the hooded dementors standing guard on either side. At last the carriage came to a halt and the group climbed out, Vasile and Nara flanking Harry and Blaise to escort them into the Great Hall amidst the glances of curious eyes.

The curious glances continued in the Hall and whispers were flying everywhere as Vasile and Nara took up positions standing behind Harry and Blaise, their gazes constantly flying about the room as they tried to remain aware of everything. The whispers finally died down and the gazes were averted when Dumbledore stood to address the assembled crowd.

"Welcome," said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard, "welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…"

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "as you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

He paused, and Harry got the distinct impression that Dumbledore was not very happy about the dementors guarding the school. Harry couldn't blame him on that one.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises—or even Invisibility Cloaks. It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure no student runs afoul of the dementors."

Dumbledore was acting more serious than many students had ever seen him, the usual twinkle in his eyes currently extinguished.

"We will also be welcoming Vasile and Nara amongst us this year," Dumbledore continued, "an attack was made upon Mr. Potter this summer and in light of recent events it was decided to have a guard accompany him to school. I assure you that they will take any threats to Mr. Potter and Ms. Zabini seriously and ask that you do not give them reason to doubt your intentions. On a lighter note, I would like to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year."

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

A scattering of applause went up for Professor Lupin, but Harry was more interested in the glares Severus was sending the new Defense teacher. There was a rumor going about the school that Severus wanted the Defense position, but Harry knew it wasn't true and made a mental note to pester the Potions Master about the new teacher.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the applause died down, "well, I am sorry to say that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who had agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Harry raised an eyebrow at this considering the gamekeepers rumored penchant for dangerous creatures, after all, the man had already assigned them a biting book. But Dumbledore wasn't done yet and Harry turned his attention back to the Headmaster.

"Now," Dumbledore continued, "let us enjoy our sumptuous feast!"

Ravenously, everyone tucked into the food that had magically appeared upon their plates, Vasile and Nara sending one last sweeping look throughout the Hall before sitting down to their own dinners.

* * *

Posted On: October 23, 2005  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	7. The Boggart

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 7:_ The Boggart

The four members of the Darkov Clan were all up early the next morning, Harry and Blaise leading the way out to the lake so that they could all loosen up before breakfast. As usual, Severus joined them, giving everyone a silent nod as they began a run about the lake.

After the run, Harry fell into the moves of the Path along side Blaise as Nara and Vasile sparred nearby to give them some semblance of peace as they enacted their morning ritual. Severus had started on his own morning stretching ritual, some of which he seemed to be taking from their moves of the Path. Yet even as Harry walked the Path, his mind stayed focused on the presence of the dementors at the school and the reactions of his pendants. He wasn't sure if it was the dragon pendant or the dream catcher that had filled him with that warmth. On one hand, the pendant had helped him against the dragon in first year, but on the other the dream catcher had its own mystical properties linked to the power of Cheveyo's people. Either talisman could have been the one to spread the warmth through his body, but he wasn't planning on going near enough to any of the dementors to test them out.

* * *

Manuel was in the forest and had just finished walking the Path, he had wanted solitude that morning, and was heading back to the house when he heard noises. Drawing his gun, Manuel made his way towards the sound and came upon a most unexpected sight. Bill Weasley was furiously slamming his fists over and over again into a moving dummy, Manuel could only surmise it had been created through magic, he appeared to have been at it for quite some time. Holstering his gun, Manuel leaned against a nearby tree and settled in to wait, deciding that it would not be a good idea to interrupt the young Dagger just then. Finally, Bill collapsed to the ground, seemingly spent.

"Want to talk about it?" Manuel remained leaning against the tree, although he was ready to dodge any projectile that might come his way as he uttered the cliché question.

"Not really," Bill had tensed as well, but had slumped back down when he realized who had spoken.

"Do you want time off then?" Manuel continued "Do you want leave to seek your revenge?"

"How can I," Bill's laugh was mirthless, "when we don't even know who the bastard is?"

"You don't think it's Sirius Black?" Manuel persisted "I thought that was what everyone believed? Why don't you?"

Bill sighed and leaned his head back to meet Manuel's gaze, "the Ministry is using Sirius Black as a scapegoat for my father's murder. They don't want the wizarding world to panic and realize there are two sick nutcases on the loose."

Manuel moved away from his tree and sat down beside Bill, "now this is a theory I haven't yet heard. I trust you can tell me more?"

"It's not a theory," Bill said, "It's the truth. One of my friends in the Unspeakables told me even though I wasn't supposed to know; he wanted to make sure I didn't go off half-cocked after Black thinking that the man had murdered my father. In truth, Black didn't escape until after my father's murder, he was still there when Minister Fudge made his monthly visit a week after the murder had happened. The Ministry is blaming Black to keep panic from escalating about there being two killers on the loose. That's why they're saying that Black had escaped during the beginning of the summer, but that the Ministry had kept it under wraps to keep people from panicking."

"So, in other words," Manuel summed the information up, "this Ministry of Magic of yours is trying to save ass by lying."

"Yeah," Bill sighed in dejection, "that's about it, but that also means that my father's murder is still unsolved and that the real murderer is out there somewhere, biding his time."

* * *

"Potter," vivid red eyes snapped open at the thought, and their owner hissed again, "Potter. He isss the only one that will do. Hisss blood, hisss power, our connection."

The acolyte merely nodded its acceptance, knowing that Harry Potter had been the only choice all along, "then he shall be the one."

"We ssshall have to get him away from his guard dogsss," Voldemort mused, "sssnatch him right from under their nosesss. Dumbledore will not know what hit him!"

"Then begin your plans," the acolyte suggested, "then you will not have so long to wait once we leave here. It will be still awhile yet before you will regain enough strength to survive outside of this place and my Master does not wish to wait for eternity."

"Yesss, yesss," Voldemort hissed impatiently, "I know of the impatience of your massster, he and I have that much in common. Potter…I will have you for what you have cossst me!"

Voldemort continued to float in the void the acolyte had taken them to, imperiously ignoring Malal's servant as he schemed on the ways to bring disaster down upon Harry Potter. Voldemort couldn't wait until he had regained enough of his power to survive in the true world, a world he desired to claim as his own. The moment he had his magic back the portal leading to the void would reopen and he would be free to put all his plans into place, but first he needed to lay out those plans. It would not due to be unprepared when Lord Voldemort returned to the world, it would not be right to disappoint himself after all.

From nearby, the acolyte continued to watch the deformed infantile form that was currently Voldemort. He did not know what Malal saw in this mortal, but it was not his duty to question his Master. No, he could not question his Master, not even if he doubted that this mortal would be able to triumph.

* * *

Classes started out on Tuesday, September 1st had fallen on a Monday, with the usual start-of-term boring lectures until after lunch when the Slytherin third-years had their first Defense class with Professor Lupin. They arrived in class in their usual cliques, Harry and Blaise with Vasile and Nara in tow, some milling around waiting for the bell to ring while others sat down quietly to get their books and parchment out so that they were ready to take the usual first day of class notes. Professor Lupin had a different approach in mind though as he smiled at them while placing his briefcase down.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

Now from most people this would have elicited a curious response, but the majority of the Slytherins had already decided to dislike Professor Lupin based upon his shabby appearance and grumbled while complying with what had been asked. Those that weren't judging the Professor based upon his appearance, but were waiting to see what his teaching was like, were intrigued and wondered if they finally had a teacher competent enough to teach them something. Harry and Blaise already had a vague idea from the incident on the train and were ready to see more.

"Right then," Professor Lupin was ignoring the mutters as he headed for the classroom door, "If you'd follow me."

Shrugging, Harry and Blaise followed their Professor, the rest of the class falling in after them as they were lead down a deserted corridor. Draco's voice grew louder as he attempted to break the Professor's composure.

"This place is going to the dogs," Draco's posse was hanging off his every word, "I can't believe they'd let someone so shabby teach us. Even that ponce Lockhart looked better than this sorry excuse for a Professor. I should write my father, when he and my mother hear—"

"Ohhhh!" Peeves unmistakable crackle interrupted Draco's words, "it's a Daddy's boy. Does Malfoy miss his mommy too?"

"Why you!" Draco's face tinted pink.

"Malfoy misses his mommy and cries for his daddy; moan-y, mope-y Malfoy misses his mommy!" Peeves sang happily.

"That's enough Peeves," Professor Lupin faced the poltergeist calmly, "I have a class to teach and you're disrupting it."

"Loony, Loopy Lupin," Peeves blew a raspberry and Harry could have sworn Professor Lupin hid a small grin, "not in a classroom, so Peevesie can play."

Giving an almost inaudible sigh, Professor Lupin drew his wand out, causing Peeves to scowl. Seeming to consider for a moment, Peeves finally saluted in the Professor's direction and grinned towards Harry and Blaise before zooming away through the nearest wall.

"After classies, little Slytheries!" Peeves cackled as he disappeared, allowing Professor Lupin to continue on towards their destination; the staffroom.

"Inside, please," Professor Lupin motioned them all in.

Once inside Harry took a good look around, nodded slightly to Professor Snape who had ensconced himself in a shadowy corner to observe what was taking place, and wondered why their lesson was to be in here of all places. He had been near the staffroom before, had even eavesdropped on the conversations inside, but had never actually come into the room itself because he knew it to be warded so that the Professors would know if a student came looking around their sanctuary. The rattling of a wardrobe in along one wall gave Harry his answer; there was something inside that the Professor wanted them to face. Harry and Blaise smirked as some of their classmates jumped when the wardrobe rattled again.

"Not to worry," Professor Lupin seemed a bit too cheery about whatever was in the wardrobe, "it's only a boggart in there."

Obviously this was cause for worry in some students, but Harry and Blaise didn't really see the reason. Sure a boggart would assume the form of your greatest fear, but there were ways to defeat and master a fear if not overcome it. The most common way to defeat a boggart was to turn your fear into something that you could laugh at, but a more rare way was to face down the fear and force yourself to overcome it so that it didn't impede you. It was a lesson Harry and Blaise had been taught year after year, know when you are afraid of something, but find some way to keep going despite that fear. Both of them had mastered it to some degree, for if they hadn't they would be dead.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," Professor Lupin began his lecture, "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks—I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. _This_ one moved in just this morning and the headmaster kindly left it to give my third years some practice."

From the muttering, most of the class didn't think the headmaster had been all that kind.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Blaise raised her hand to answer, "It's a shape-shifter that will take the shape of our greatest fear."

Severus nodded his approval from the corner as Professor Lupin smiled at Blaise, "couldn't have said it better myself. So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

Harry nodded, "we have the advantage of numbers to confuse it with. The boggart won't be able to scare us all at once and won't know who to focus on."

Once again Severus gave his silent nod of approval, unseen in his corner except by Harry, Blaise, Vasile, Nara, and perhaps Lupin.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires a force of mind." Lupin captured Harry's attention again even though Severus and Trevor had already taught him about boggarts, "You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please…_riddikulus!_"

The class chorused the spell with different amounts of enthusiasm a few times before Professor Lupin called a halt.

"Good," Professor Lupin said, "very good. Now, Theodore, if you would step forward to assist me. What is it that you fear?"

"I'm not telling you," Theo muttered defiantly, the rest of the class sullenly agreeing with Nott, none of them wanted to reveal their fears.

Professor Lupin sighed as if expecting this, "you either participate or I'll start taking points from Slytherin for everyone who refuses."

Still Theo remained silent, causing Lupin to take five points from Slytherin. And was it Harry's imagination, or did it seem as if Professor Lupin was resisting the urge to tap his foot impatiently as he went to take another five points. At this point Professor Snape glided from the shadows before Lupin could take a third set of points, startling his grumbling students; he had been shooting Harry and Blaise looks as if to tell them to step forward, but they had shook their heads slightly and gone back to watching Theo squirm. They had no hesitation in participating like their classmates did, but wanted to watch how Lupin handled getting the reticent Slytherin's to face the boggart and reveal their fears.

Professor Snape eyed them all before speaking, "I don't want to hear Slytherin lose another point."

Professor Snape's voice was soft, hinting that Theo had better take some form of action, but Theo kept up his silent and nervous shifting.

"Well!" Snape barked, losing his patience and finally getting a reaction.

"I'm afraid of rabbits," Theo finally blurted out to the scorn of the others, "my brother gave my bunny fangs and made it attack me."

"Alright," Professor Lupin's easy-going nature was back, "that wasn't so hard. Now think of how you can turn your fear humorous and I'll release the boggart. Everyone else be ready for when it turns to you."

Lupin easily positioned Theo in front of the wardrobe and backed away, ignoring the patented glare Professor Snape was directing at him, "three…two…one…"

With a flick of his wand, Professor Lupin opened the wardrobe door and Theo's bunny-boggart emerged.

"_Riddikulus_!" Theo shouted after a moment pause of fear, his voice slightly shaky as he turned the bunny pink with huge lips that wouldn't allow the fangs out.

"Good," Lupin encouraged them as Professor Snape settled back to watch, "next!"

Pansy's boggart turned into a version of her as and old maid with wrinkles, she rudely turned it into Hermione Granger. Millicent was hit next and bats flew around her until she managed to imagine them flopping on the ground with severed wings. Draco tried to duck out then, but Crabbe and Goyle's bulk blocked his exit and he found himself faced with a Pansy wearing a wedding ring bearing the Malfoy crest. Harry had to admit, but seeing boggart-Pansy in a wedding dress was enough to scare him as well. The boggart turned to Harry. Even expecting this as he was, Harry almost froze at the sight of his father lying still and dead upon the cold ground, but he forced himself to know that it wasn't real.

"That is not going to happen," Harry stated, vaguely aware as the boggart began to flicker through the still forms of Trevor and the Guards that Vasile, Nara, and Lupin were trying to get to him through the students forming a tight semi-circle about him.

The boggart froze on the image of Blaise lying in a pool of her own blood.

"That is not going to happen!" Harry actually screamed the words aloud for all to hear as Blaise reached him first, throwing herself between Harry and the boggart, knowing he would have done the same for her, "I won't let that happen!"

But even with Blaise standing between him and the boggart, the boggart did not lose its focus on Harry, almost at a loss that Harry was defying what it was showing. Then suddenly, as if settling upon a realization, the boggart became a dementor that moved towards Harry and Blaise as they stood to face it together while a chill swept through the room.

"_RIDDIKULUS!"_ Professor Lupin had moved between Harry, Blaise, and the boggart while Professor Snape pulled them aside as an extra precaution.

With a crack the boggart turned into a moon-like orb that Professor Lupin forced back into the wardrobe.

"Class dismissed," Lupin sounded nearly breathless as he leveled his gaze upon Harry, a gaze that Harry returned firmly and without fear despite what he had just seen from the boggart.

* * *

Posted On: November 13, 2005  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	8. Intrigue

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 8:_ Intrigue

It wasn't until after dinner on that first day back at classes that Penny managed to get Harry off to himself; Blaise was off somewhere with Nara and Harry had decided to play around with Vasile and had given the man the slip. She had been trying to get Harry alone since she had gone to stay at his house, but it had always proved impossible with Blaise and all the others around. She had begun to wonder if Harry ever got any privacy at all.

"Harry," Penny hurried up, nearly running to seize the presented opportunity, "can I talk to you, somewhere where we can't be overheard?"

For a long moment it seemed that Harry was only going to stand there and look at her, but then he grabbed her arm and tugged her after him, heading for an abandoned classroom nearby.

"We shouldn't be overheard here, and I'll be able to avoid Vasile for a while longer. He's still not quite used to the moving stairs, changing passageways, and disappearing doors." Harry said as he closed the door and threw up a few minor wards Severus had taught him, "So what's up? What do you need to talk about?"

Penny was suddenly a bit nervous, but plowed on anyhow, "your dad is more than just rich, isn't he? The Weasley's might not know much about the muggle world, but I do, and I know that no one needs as many guards as there are at your house for just wealth; most people don't have a shooting range either. There's something else going on. Your dad and my dad do business, and I know some of the stuff my dad gets into isn't perfectly legal, I've heard my parents argue about it. I also once heard him say something about the mafia. Is that it? Is it true your dad is in the mafia?"

Harry hadn't said a word while Penny said her piece and she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. Maybe this had all been a bad idea; she should have just kept her suspicions to herself. Harry meanwhile was trying to decide the best way to answer the girl and decided that he had best trust her. Penny had already proven to be a very good friend and she had more than enough information for any Ravenclaw to figure out the truth.

"No, my dad isn't in the mafia," Harry began, continuing on even as Penny let out the breath she had been holding; Vasile could obliviate her if it became absolutely necessary, "he is the leader of a mafia, its king if you will. There are other mafias of course, but the Darkov clan is currently the most powerful and the most well managed with a perfectly legal façade to operate behind. Your father does occasionally do some clan related business for my father, mainly in information and acquisition, nothing too dangerous."

Penny hardly realized when she collapsed into a chair, she had pieced together the truth, but getting the confirmation of that truth was a shock.

* * *

"You told her!" It was an understatement to say that Blaise was pissed; it was about an hour after he had talked to Penny and had decided that Blaise had a right to know what he had told the Ravenclaw.

"I've said that," Harry kept his calm, standing behind his decision as he faced down the consequences.

"But you told her your dad was a bloody Mafia King," Blaise paced, still going strong.

Harry shrugged, "she had figured it out, there wasn't any reason not to confirm her accusations. It keeps her from digging deeper and we can always _obliviate_ her if it becomes necessary. She's not going to say anything though, there's enough trust between the both of us to insure that, and she'd be fingering her own family is she says anything."

"But that's not the point," Blaise shouted, finally coming to a halt, "its that you told her something that's always been between us. Sure Granger knows, but she isn't…she isn't…"

"I know," Harry cut Blaise off, he had known this would be the biggest problem, "and Penny's a good friend, but she'll never replace you Blaise. Penny may know now, but she's never been through anything like you and I have, you and I together. A Darkov and Zabini, just like our fathers before us."

"Promise?" Blaise sniffed, safe in the knowledge that no one was there to see her weakness other than Harry.

"Promise." Harry said as he allowed Blaise to step into his arms so that he could hug her, "nothing will separate us."

That was how Vasile and Nara found them a few minutes later after many modified _point me_ spells. There was no way to escape the ribbing that followed. From the way Vasile and Nara were acting, you would have thought they had just declared their undying love for each other and were about to run off and have some sort of sordid affair before getting married. Harry and Blaise both groaned at the thought of their fathers' teasing once they heard about this. Then Vasile and Nara began to berate Harry and Blaise for giving them the slip when they were supposed to be under their protection; Harry translated that into Vasile and Nara being disgruntled that Harry and Blaise could make enough sense of Hogwarts' changes to use it against the guards to slip watch. The howler they got the next morning at breakfast merely confirmed that Vasile and Nara were sending home reports on them.

* * *

"Harry, Blaise," the Howler was worse than the one Ron Weasley had received because Manuel didn't raise his voice, "Vasile and Nara are there for your protection. I do not want to hear of you slipping away from them again."

Nearby, Vasile and Nara didn't seem to know whether to smirk at Harry and Blaise or feel sorry that they had brought this rebuke down upon the two. Then Trevor's voice picked up where Manuel's left off.

"I think Manuel has covered all the important parts and I hope you won't disappoint us again. You need to take these threats more seriously."

The Howler burnt itself up until there was nothing more than ash left and Harry turned to Blaise, misery hidden deep within his eyes so that only the three that knew him so well could see. They knew Harry had a unique bond with his father and hated to disappoint Manuel in any way. It would surprise many people who had only seen the loving duo of father and son, but in the beginning Manuel had left most of Harry's care in the hands of others; he hadn't been able to abandon Harry in that alley, but neither had he been able to allow himself to get too close in case he should lose Harry like he had lost his first son.

"Well," Harry's voice was carefully neutral, "we know Trevor knows how to make a Howler now."

"Harry," Nara started, torn between the fact that it was her duty to inform Manuel on what was happening and the fact that her doing so had caused Harry to be upset.

Harry smiled at Nara, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes, "it's your job and dad was right, but when have I ever not taken a threat seriously? Let's get to class."

The last was directed at Blaise and the girl stood to walk beside Harry, also feeling the sting of the words. Both of them hated to disappoint their fathers in any way, they would have preferred the screaming Howler of Mrs. Weasley to the level admonition Manuel and Trevor had given them. It was easier to respond to anger or a heated scolding than it was to respond to guilt, at least with anger you could counteract with your own ire.

* * *

Later that evening Harry was lounging on his bed and idly playing with a knife, flipping it up into the air and then catching it. He wasn't really up to socializing with anyone, not even Blaise. He understood why his dad had sent the Howler and said the things he did, but damn it, it hurt. Harry gave a low, frustrated growl and rolled off his bed in a quick motion, deciding to find something to do to keep his mind off the bloody Howler. Not wanting to talk with Vasile or Nara at the moment, Harry turned to rummage through his trunk in search of a distraction; he was sure he had thrown some games in there. About halfway through his trunk, Harry's hand encountered the blue, silver bound journal from his first year. Slowly Harry withdrew the book and stared at it, an idea forming in his mind. Ginny had activated Tom Riddle's diary by writing in it, what if this was something similar? If it was, he would find out the writer's identity and do some research before trusting the book further; if it wasn't, he would finally trash the thing as useless.

Walking over to sit at his desk, Harry took out a quill and dipped it into his ink pot. For a moment he sat with the quill poised over the book, internally debating if what he was doing was wise. Then, as if in slow motion, the slightly overloaded quill began to form a drop at its tip. Harry tilted his quill ever so slightly, allowing more ink to join the drop. The weight of the drop increased, gravity took over, and the thin link of ink holding the drop to the quill tip stretched and broke. With an inaudible _splash_ the blank ink hit the center of the page, splattered out, and immediately spidered into carelessly scrawled words.

_The Marauder's Guide to _

_Pranks and Animagi _

Then, a few spaces below that, a single word formed more slowly than the rest.

_Password?_

* * *

Posted On: December 8, 2005  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	9. Hippogriffs

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 9:_ Hippogriffs

He had only discovered the secret of the journal the night before, but already Harry was frustrated with his inability to crack the password; it would help if he actually knew something about these Marauders to give him a clue about what the password might be. As it was, he had nothing to go on. He could probably ask one of the professor's, but he was hesitant to do so in case they wondered why he was asking; for some reason he didn't want to let anyone know about the journal yet, he felt as if it was meant for him, he hadn't even told Blaise yet. That last bit irked at him a tiny bit, made him feel a bit odd and guilty, but he just didn't want to share this with her, not yet. So it was that a frustrated Harry made his way out to his first Care of Magical Creatures class with Blaise, Vasile, and Nara and he forced himself to focus on the upcoming lesson; he hadn't forgotten the fact that it had been Hagrid who raised the three-headed dog and dragon he had come across in his first year, and it was Hagrid who had assigned them the biting book currently wiggling around in his bag.

* * *

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood there in a moleskin overcoat, with a boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start. Harry and Blaise exchanged glances of foreboding and Vasile and Nara tensed in case they were suddenly faced with a rampaging creature. The two Guards had done their homework and had discovered that Hagrid had been expelled in his third year for keeping a deadly creature locked up in the castle and would have gone to Azkaban had not Dumbledore spoke out for Hagrid and proved his innocence. Unfortunately, it seemed that even after all that trouble Hagrid still held a fondness for dangerous creatures.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

Blaise glanced over at Harry as they followed Hagrid around the edge of the forest, a bit disappointed they wouldn't be going in, "bets on our chances of coming out of this uninjured?"

Harry smirked, "us, good. The rest of the class, not so good. Guesses on the first person injured?"

"Longbottom," Blaise said without hesitation, "followed by either Crabbe or Goyle."

Harry nodded as they stopped outside a rough paddock that as of yet held nothing. Surprisingly Harry found himself growing even more curious as to what the lesson ahead would entail.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" Hagrid called. "That's it—make sure yeh can see—now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books—"

"How?" The voice was obviously Draco's, no one else could affect such cold and empty disdain in everyday speech like the Malfoy heir.

"Eh?" Hagrid obviously hadn't been prepared for questions this early on in the lesson, especially the one just presented to him.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated as if speaking to a small child that was having trouble comprehending.

Draco's shuddering book was out in his hand, bound by a length of rope to keep it from snapping at whatever limb was closest to reach. Many of the other students had their books bound in similar ways ranging from belts to binder clips. Only Harry and Blaise had their books out and open in front of them and that was only because Severus had instructed them on the proper way to open them; Trevor had nearly cursed Blaise's copy to bits after it had gotten a hold of his hand one day much to Severus' amusement and the Potions master had delighted in showing Trevor the 'correct' way to handle the books.

"Hasn'—hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

Harry and Blaise exchanged glances, but decided to remain silent as the rest of the class shook their heads. They didn't feel like drawing attention to themselves and possibly becoming actively involved in whatever lesson they were about to have.

"Yeh've got ter _stroke_ 'em," said Hagrid as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look—"

Hagrid took Hermione's copy from her, Harry couldn't help but grin at the though that it appeared Granger had finally found a book she wasn't particularly fond of, and ripped the spellotape off it so he could stroke a giant forefinger down its spine. The book gave a mighty shiver as it stopped trying to bite Hagrid and fell open to lay quietly in his hand. This of course set Draco off on another round of sneering, during which Hagrid escaped to gather up whatever creatures they would be studying. Harry and Blaise tuned the snotty blond out, instead watching the spot where Hagrid had disappeared to. Within moments their newly appointed professor was coming back with a handful of chains, and on the other end of the chains were some of the strangest yet most beautiful creatures. Hagrid had gotten a hold of hippogriffs, both Harry and Blaise had come across references for the animals when they had been searching to discover what the skeletal horses that pulled the carriages were.

"Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pulling the rest of the rest of the students towards the hippogriffs.

"Gee up, there!" Hagrid drove the hippogriffs towards the fence the class had assembled along, causing most of the students to shift back a few paces. "Hippogriffs! Beau'iful, aren't they?"

Harry had to agree with Hagrid, they were beautiful creatures, full of deadly grace and majestic in their own right. The hippogriffs had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. They possessed gleaming coats that changed smoothly from feather to hair, and the talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. They looked as if they could easily snap the chains Hagrid was using to hold them. Beside him, Blaise shifted and Harry could tell she was just as enthralled with the creatures. When the animals weren't trying to take a bite out of him, Harry found he could easily agree with Hagrid's assessment that such dangerous things were beautiful. With half an ear, Harry paid attention to Hagrid's comments on hippogriffs being easily offended and how to approach one, but his eyes were solely on the creatures in front of him; he felt it would be an insult to take his eyes away from the hippogriff that was determinedly staring him down.

"Right—who wants ter go first?" Hagrid asked excitedly.

Most of the class backed away in response, Hagrid's lesson so far hadn't been to reassuring about their safety around hippogriffs. Then there were the hippogriffs themselves, tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings as their talons dug into the ground. It wasn't a sight that called to eager volunteers. Hagrid was looking crestfallen as his eyes scanned the gathered students until his eyes fell upon Harry and Blaise where they stood leaning against the fence.

"How 'bout you, Harry?" Hagrid was looking much like Harry expected the boarhound did when begging for table scraps.

Harry's sigh was barely audible as he lithely climbed over the paddock fence, he could almost feel the dismay Nara and Vasile were hiding, "sure, why not?"

"Good man, Harry!" Hagrid roared, regaining his cheer. "Right then—let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

Hagrid untied one of the chains and brought forth the very hippogriff Harry had previously been having a staring contest with. Confidently Harry strode forward, keeping eye contact with Buckbeak, but not about to show submission. Harry figured that the rule of dogs was probably applicable with creatures in the wizarding world—don't show them you're afraid and they'll be less likely to see you as prey to toy with. A mere few feet away from the hippogriff, Harry stopped and bowed, waiting as Buckbeak decided whether he wished to bow back. Finally the hippogriff lowered his great head and allowed Harry to approach him and stroke his feathers. Harry was a bit surprise at how soft Buckbeak's feathers were, you just didn't expect such a fierce looking creature to have anything gentle about it.

"Righ' then, Harry," said Hagrid. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"

Before Harry could answer Hagrid, Vasile called out in a low voice, "Harry—" as Nara called to Blaise.

Nara's call was explained a moment later as Blaise appeared next to Harry to bow to Buckbeak as well, saying, "I'm not about to let you have all the fun."

It was clear that the Guards weren't all that comfortable with them getting on Buckbeak's back, but Harry suddenly felt like being contrary and Hagrid was extremely pleased that both of them were willing to ride Buckbeak. Even though he had grown up in a world full of order and training Harry was still a teenager, and when you tell them not to do something they will most likely turn around and do it anyway. That, and Buckbeak seemed to be a combination of two of Harry's favorite things—riding and flying.

Without much further ado Harry and Blaise found themselves on Buckbeak's back, Blaise gripping Harry at the waist while he held on around the hippogriff's neck. Then, Hagrid smacked Buckbeak on the rump and they were airborne. On either side of them huge wings rose and fell, and while the initial start was rough, Buckbeak's flight soon straightened out and became smooth and graceful. Grinning and crying out in excitement, Harry and Blaise reveled in the ride they were getting until it came time to land. The abrupt landing almost threw them off, only a firm grip and years of riding kept them from toppling ungracefully to the ground. Waiting on the ground, Vasile and Nara had a tight grip on their wands; they weren't too happy about their charges going out of the reach of their protection.

Deciding they had tested their boundaries enough for that day, Harry and Blaise went to stand next to Vasile and Nara as they watched the rest of the class approach the hippogriffs. Out of all the antics of their classmates though, it was Draco Malfoy who caught their attention as he talked insultingly about Buckbeak.

Harry leaned over to Blaise, "make it Malfoy who gets injured first."

Then moments later, as if Harry was a seer, Malfoy was rolling on the ground and clutching his arm to his chest as Buckbeak reared over his head. Within moments Hagrid was there, bodily pushing Buckbeak away and scooping Malfoy up to carry the blond to the hospital wing, calling back to dismiss the class as he went.

Idly Harry glanced at Vasile, "you could have pushed him out of the way, you were close enough."

Vasile shrugged, "he's not my worry. Besides, he had it coming to him."

Remembering the sneers Malfoy had directed at Vasile and Nara about being lowly help the other day, Harry couldn't help but smirk in agreement.

* * *

Posted On: January 14, 2006  
Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	10. Training

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 

_Chapter 10_: Training

"Again," Manuel danced just out of Bill's reach, unseen signals passing between Trevor and himself as they worked on honing the edge Bill would need to survive within the world of the Daggers.

Trevor gave Bill a quick tap on the back, letting the focused red-head know he had been snuck up on, "you're thrusting too wildly, letting yourself be drawn into the open too easily. Daggers are not meant to be seen when they strike, no matter how much death and destruction they leave behind. Use the shadows, blend in with your surroundings. Be another face in the crowd. Don't be afraid to truly strike at Manuel, if you do manage to hit him then it just proves that he is losing his touch and doesn't deserve his position as Leader of the Clan anymore."

Manuel childishly stuck out his tongue and twisted out of Bill's reach again while simultaneously nicking him. Grimacing, Bill glanced down at his arm where a thin slice cut through the fabric of his shirt and gave tantalizing hints of blood where the knife had cut. He hadn't even seen Manuel pull a knife. Training with Trevor had been one thing, he had advanced enough to hold his own, but he needed to work on taking both his bosses on; if he was to keep his position as a Dagger he had to be able to take on a number of opponents of varying strengths. If he had thought himself well-trained as a Guard, it was nothing compared to what he was now. He also knew now how Manuel was able to hold the respect of so many lethally trained warriors without them trying to rebel and take over the Clan—Manuel had the skills of a Dagger and the training he showed could put Trevor to shame. Bill was seeing a side of the easy-going Mafia King that he hadn't known had existed and was glad Manuel had given him the chance to prove his loyalty instead of simply dealing with him as a threat.

Taking Trevor's words to heart, Bill backed off from attacking Manuel and allowed some space to build between him and his two opponents. He was focusing to intently on Manuel, perceiving him as the bigger threat and allowing Trevor to get at his back. Reassessing the situation allowed him to admit that his current skills wouldn't let him get at Manuel, the most he could hope to do would be to keep Manuel from landing another wound on him, but he could possibly take Trevor out of their little game and even the odds before conceding defeat. He would not be faulted for that, rather his teachers would be proud to know he could gauge his own limits and would know when a situation was too hot and warranted a retreat. Of course putting this plan into action was a lot less easy than Bill would have liked, but Manuel realized his reasoning and called the session to a stop when he finally managed to draw first blood on Trevor.

"That's good enough for today," Manuel's knife popped out into plain view as he noticeably placed it in the sheath at his waist to signal the end of the training, "you realized your lesson today. We do not expect you to become a super warrior all of a sudden, but we do expect you to use the training you have been given and to not overextend yourself by trying to do what is beyond your reach. That leads to a fool's death. It will be quite some time before you will be able to gain blood on me; I began the training of a Dagger when I was just a child while Trevor has only been doing it for about the past six years once Blaise was old enough to start her own training."

"Blaise is being trained as a Dagger?" Bill was a bit disbelieving on this, but had to ask given Manuel's wording.

"No," Trevor shook his head as if to emphasize the word, "and I don't plan on training her as a Dagger either, only in self-defence. It's training a child doesn't need."

Bill saw the look of disapproval that Trevor shot Manuel then and was once again awed at how much trust the two men were willing to place in him by allowing him to see them interact such. The meaning of the look wasn't all the hard to interpret either.

"Harry's getting the training, though, isn't he? He doesn't show it."

Manuel's smile was self-deprecatory. "No he doesn't, not yet, even though he's been doing the training for the past two summers. It's because we provide him with a balance. Trevor, Blaise, and I keep Harry balanced even though Blaise knows nothing of Harry's extra training. It's one of the reasons we go out to the amusement park and theaters so much, we make sure that Harry gets to know how to be a child as well as a warrior. We make sure he still has a heart and a conscious. It's why family is so important, why the Clan is a family in its own right. Blood isn't required to make a family, only the desire to protect and care for is needed. I just hope we never see the day when someone pushes Harry too far that he forgets the balance. It's a hard place to come back from."

Bill didn't know if Manuel was speaking from experience or if he was talking about something he had see, and he didn't want to know. He was more than a little unsettled as he left the training area, his head full of things to mull over. He had to agree with Manuel. Bill had seen Harry go from carefree to holding a bead upon another man, reluctantly ready to pull the trigger if needed; he didn't want to see the day when Harry no longer had thoughts of hesitation before action, it was then that innocence was truly lost. It was a wonder that Harry was childish enough to pull pranks like he did.

* * *

"We won't have too long," Vasile pulled Harry into a room he had set up for Harry's training, "I don't know how long it'll be before Nara and Blaise come looking for us, but I wanted to get in a quick lesson so you're not rusty come summer."

Harry waved Vasile's worry off with a wave of his hand and a roll of his eyes, "don't worry, they won't come looking for us anytime soon. Blaise warned me earlier that she and Nara were going to do their hair and nails tonight."

Vasile turned from putting the finishing touches on the room so that he and Harry had objects to slip around and behind, a look of horror on his face.

" _Nara__'s_ doing hair and nails? Wolf _Nara_? The same Nara that has at least once slit a guy from nose to nuts?"

Harry nodded, torn between amusement at Vasile's reaction and grimacing at the mental image he had just received. "She is female. They do that sort of thing."

Vasile looked faint and asked again, " _Nara_?"

Harry dropped his head, shaking it sadly as he realized how oblivious Vasile had been to the fact that Nara was anything but a fellow warrior; he would definitely have to tell Nara about this and see how she reacted to Vasile's reaction. Blaise might have to rethink her matchmaking of these two, or she'd need even more help than she originally thought. Harry shook his head to clear these thoughts from his mind until later.

"I'm going to prowl now," Harry warned Vasile that he was starting the game, hoping to move the Dagger to action, "and you're a sitting duck like that."

Slipping off, Harry glanced back to find that Vasile still appeared to be in shock and hadn't moved from where he stood. Either he had really thrown the Dagger for a loop, or the man was hoping to lure him into a foolish move and take him down easily by appearing to have lowered his guard. Harry wasn't sure which and decided not to take any chances. In fact, he was half tempted to just slip from the room and come back later to see what Vasile had done, but he didn't want to risk falling prey to Nara and Blaise. Shuddering, Harry remembered the one time Nara had been babysitting them and Blaise had wanted to play dress-up. Never again would he let that happen to him, the embarrassment from that one time alone had been enough to last a lifetime. The only bonus was that they hadn't been able to get any pictures and he had enough blackmail on them in return to keep them silent. Mafia Princes just did not do drag, it wasn't good for the image.

Slipping his knife free from its sheath, Harry took a circuitous route around the room to assess the different angles he could attack from. If Vasile was really in shock then this would be a short training session, if he wasn't, the session could still be short but the chances were lessened that Harry would come out triumphant. Either way Harry only had to draw first blood while Vasile had to gain third blood. Of course Vasile had also been a Dagger for almost four years; Harry would be a fool to treat him as anything less than a completely alert threat. Magic wouldn't give him an advantage here either, even if it was allowed in the training session. Taking a deep breath, Harry settled himself into a calm and began to move forward as his father had taught him, low in a crouch and keeping a wall to his back so that no one could sneak up on him. He was determined to get first blood, in a real attack you either got first blood or you most likely wound up dead.

* * *

Edit Posted On: February 15, 2006


	11. Understanding

_**As of February 15, 2006**:_ _I've finally got this ready, and it was a close thing too. My laptop now has a virus and that had been the only place I had all the changes saved to at the time. I did finally manage to pull the files I needed off of my laptop (I almost wasn't able to), make sure they weren't infected, and transfer them to another computer._

The changes are as such:

Chapters 1-4:_ edited and a few words switched around, some small clarification added.  
_Chapter 5:_ New chapter, pushes back other chapters so previous chapter order is no longer  
applicable.  
_Chapter 6:_ previously chapter 5; no more mention of Cheveyo.  
_Chapter 7:_ previously chapter 6; no more Cheveyo, first defense class now included.  
_Chapter 8:_ previously chapter 7; edited.  
_Chapter 9:_ previously chapter 8; edited.  
_Chapter 10:_ previously chapter 9; edited, a few new lines for character.  
_Chapter 11:_ previously what little there was of chapter 10; small change to previous post and  
chapter is finished off._

* * *

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince. 

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 11_: Understanding

Potion's class on Thursday turned out to be interesting as Draco finally showed back up and Ron was forced to help him prepare his ingredients by Professor Snape. Of course Draco insulted Ron's preparations and set himself about making sure the class turned out to be hell for everyone who had to hear his whiney little voice. Eventually though, Draco tired of his sport and turned to his next favorite victim. Draco was always trying to goad Harry into saying or doing something because Harry was one of the few people who would not rise to Draco's bait; Blaise was the other, but her pureblood status kept Draco from focusing on her as much as he focused on Harry.

"And what about you, Potter?" Draco's nasal voice was pitched low, "They've spotted Black nearby. Thinking of trying to catch him single-handedly, or will you stay huddled behind your bodyguards?"

Harry raised an eyebrow while still focusing on his potion, "I don't see what business of yours it is what I think."

Draco was undeterred, "Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck, but if it was me I'd want revenge."

"And what do you know of revenge," Blaise's mouth formed a small smirk, "spineless, childish pranks and running to your daddy so he can take care of everything for you?"

Draco fumed, but Harry spoke before the Malfoy heir could say anything caustic and bring too much attention towards their conversation.

"It's a good thing I'm not you then," Harry carefully added the last ingredient before lowering the fire so his potion would simmer, "because it sounds like you would go off half-cocked like a heroic Gryffindor and get yourself killed. A Slytherin on the other hand would wait and bide his time, but Black is of no interest to me, so none of that really matters."

"Don't you know then?" Draco, successfully diverted from the insult Blaise had played on him, was gleeful at the thought of having some secretive bit of knowledge.

"Oh, I know about Black's betrayal," Harry was just as calm as always even though he longed to punch Draco, "but I don't see any reason to let it concern me. The past is the past and I have no reason to complain about the present."

Draco began to sputter and scramble for a comeback, but Snape interrupted whatever he had been going to say by announcing that they would be testing their shrinking potions and no one wanted to miss Trevor the Toad being the first victim; Neville was such a screw-up when it came to potions.

* * *

"Can I prank him?" Blaise demanded as they left class a bit later, "or perhaps just straight up hex him. That little bastard, he was hoping to goad you into doing something foolish. I'll strangle him with my bare hands."

Harry couldn't help but grin, things were starting to feel more back to normal as Blaise's indignation rose in his favor, "don't worry about it Blaise, we'll get him back, but right now we need to head to lunch. I'm starving! We're also supposed to meet up with the twins and plan a prank, maybe we'll make it on Draco. I also want to talk to Professor Lupin some more, Vasile and Nara still aren't sure about him, but he interests me."

Blaise nodded, eagerness showing in her eyes, "we have to get him to teach us that spell he used on the dementors, I have a feeling it will come in handy. I'd ask Vasile or Nara, but I think they're having trouble with the spell themselves and won't admit to it."

The two friends continued to banter as they walked towards lunch, Vasile and Nara sharing relieved looks as they trailed along behind just out of earshot. They had noticed that while Harry and Blaise had seemed as close as ever, that there had been a little distance between them, yet neither of the two had really acknowledged it and had been content to act as if everything had been fine. Now though, it looked as if everything was fine and the two were back to their old selves. Hopefully it was just one of those awkward, growing up things that happen occasionally because Vasile didn't think Blaise or Harry would be alright if a rift truly did grow between them; they had always been together and it would be like the end of the world if their friendship would ever break.

* * *

"Oi! Harry, Blaise," the twins caught up to them in the hallway as they left lunch early to make for an abandoned classroom, but they quickly backpedaled as Vasile moved into their line of sight with a glare, "uh, we'll catch you later."

Vasile waited until they were out of sight before he began to laugh. Harry and Blaise glared at him.

"We were going to plan a prank with them," Blaise was almost pouting.

"Yeah," Harry chimed in, "you really need to cut those two some slack already. You've put them through enough penance for squirting you with the water-gun. If they had been real assailants with real weapons you would have been on them before they could have even thought to pull anything, but it was just the twins and they always skulk around the house."

"But that's the problem," Vasile finally vented what had been bothering him, "I got used to their presence and we already know betrayal is possible. What if it hadn't been a water-gun, but a real one? I would have failed you and your father."

Nara moved to Vasile's side and actually put an arm around him, silently giving him support as he stood with his head bowed.

"Are you worried about betrayal?" Harry asked sharply, "Is there any indication that someone might be betraying us, or that any of our guests over the summer meant us harm? If there is, then you need to tell my dad; if there isn't, then you need to get over being pranked. It's not the first time you've ever been pranked, and it won't be the last."

"It was the first time with a water-gun though," Vasile seemed to be glad to finally get this off his chest, "it could have just as easily been a real gun. I'm not suspicious of anyone; I guess I'm just on edge. Before now I've always kept a fine line between the magical world and the mafia one, but now those two worlds are combining and there is danger in both. Too few of the Clan are magical, if a wizard was to attack without warning we would lose men just because their disbelief in magic. Nara has the same worries."

Harry nodded his understanding and moved to lay a hand on Vasile's arm, "we know, and Trevor is working on it. He's gathering together what he calls his 'Old Crowd'. Dad is also planning on revealing the existence of magic to the Clan soon, I think it'll be easier for them to accept than we believe; dad realizes that it can't be put off much longer and we can feel that something is coming. The Darkov Clan has always adapted to any situation, has never fallen, and we aren't about to lose now."

"Harry's right," Blaise added her own support from where she stood beside Nara, "and dad and Manuel are going to need you to be doubt-free when they do mix our two worlds. You, Nara, Bill, Harry, dad, and I are the only magically inclined people within the Clan right now and it will be up to the six of us to make sure that we're prepared for whatever comes."

"That means more training," Nara warned the two, "more offensively inclined training instead of the year-by-year schooling Trevor is putting you two through to make sure your education is well-rounded."

Blaise grinned, "we know, and if it cuts down on the history we have to learn, we're all for it."

"It'll also cut into your pranking time," Vasile added in better spirits.

"You wish," Harry retorted, "those pranks serve and important purpose in our training. Playing pranks insures creative thinking and is in itself a lesson in stealth maneuvers. Pranks require planning, not only of the prank itself, but covering your tracks so that you don't get caught. Setting up a prank, especially in off-limit areas, requires sneaking around without getting caught. Pranks are an essential part of training."

Vasile and Nara rolled their eyes in tandem, causing Harry and Blaise to snicker and earning them odd looks from their two bodyguards.

"Well," Nara stated as a faint rumbling was heard through the halls of Hogwarts, "now that we've gotten that out of our systems and wasted away the last few minutes of lunch, you two have a transfiguration class to get to and a review test to take."

Harry and Blaise groaned, but dutifully headed for the stairs and Professor McGonagall's classroom. They had been warned that they would be having a test reviewing what they had learned in the past two years in class and were confident that they would pass it easily after Trevor's lessons, but that didn't make them any more eager to take the test.

* * *

Posted On: February 15, 2006


	12. Plans and A Map

_Here's a reminder that killing the author is a bad thing…this chapter actually got written because I was going back through reviews and kept thinking about how people mentioned the chummy nature with the Weasley's. Responding to that kicked off the first part of this chapter and the rest just fell in._

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 12:_ Plans and A Map

"Has Penny talked to you anymore since you told her?" Blaise asked out of blue as they left class, Vasile and Nara had fallen behind enough to give them a semblance of privacy while they talked.

"Yeah," Harry smiled slightly, glad that things felt right between him and Blaise again, "she's more understanding than I thought. I'm just glad that she hasn't realized that dad invited her to the Manor as a hostage to keep her father in line, I do truly count her as a friend and think she'll be useful to have around."

Blaise nodded, remembering Manuel's reaction when he had discovered that Mr. Clearwater had let Harry's attacker into his own party in order to take care of the Darkov Prince. Harry had already been asked about having Penny over and Manuel had agreed in order to put pressure upon Mr. Clearwater and force his compliance; Mr. Clearwater hadn't dared refuse allowing Penny to come for the visit once Manuel had personally extended the invitation. Harry and Blaise had wondered briefly why Manuel didn't just kill Mr. Clearwater, but then had realized that it was because he didn't want to risk losing Mrs. Clearwater's connections in the wizarding world; if he had killed Mr. Clearwater, Mrs. Clearwater would have had to die as well or they would have risked her causing trouble with the very connections they desired to exploit. It had been hard for both Harry and herself to act normal around Penny even though they knew that one wrong step by her father would seal the girls fate.

"How about Percy? I know you've been sounding him out this summer for your dad. I would have asked earlier, but there never seemed to be a time to get you alone this summer and then school started—" Harry shrugged as he trailed off, knowing he didn't need to explain further.

Blaise blew a strand of hair out of her face in frustration, "he needs to loosen up and stop being a pompous know-it-all. There's a fire in him, a hidden determination to be someone, but other than that I haven't really had much a chance to talk to him without others being around. The Weasley's had way too many kids and half of them annoy the hell out of me."

"I know," Harry chuckled, "Bill and the twins are the only ones that don't annoy me, though I'm not sure I would trust the twins with any type of weapons. If Percy would loosen up he would have possibilities, especially if he succeeds and gets a position in the Ministry or as a Law-wizard. Charlie is just too nice, too open, while Ron and lately even Ginny are just annoying pains in the ass. They are the most pettish and immature of the Weasley children and the ones I wish we never had to invite over, though sadly Ginny was never like that before last year. It's so hard to remain polite to their faces when I just want to tell them to go screw themselves. If it wouldn't seem odd not to invite them when we invite the others, they wouldn't ever set foot on our property again."

"I'll second that," Blaise replied fervently, before falling into humor "they're like an invasion, only if it was a true invasion we could just kill them and be rid of the problem."

Harry snorted and shook his head as he joked back, "not that easy, there would still be the bodies to dispose of and Bill wouldn't be too happy with us if he found out. Besides, we can't kill people merely because they annoy us, that would mean lowering ourselves to the level of the other Mafia clans."

Blaise rolled her eyes, "of course, I forgot, the almighty Darkov clan is too sophisticated for such things."

Harry couldn't help it, he burst out laughing, "sophisticated my ass, dad just doesn't want to deal with the paperwork unless it's actually necessary. Besides, you can't scare a corpse."

"You're hopeless," Blaise was laughing as well by the time Nara and Vasile drew even with them to find out what was so funny.

"So are you Blaise," Harry grinned at Vasile and Nara, but didn't tell them a thing, "so are you."

… … … … …

The letter summoning Nara and Vasile home came one morning during breakfast right before Halloween causing the Wolf and Dagger to depart immediately—at least two of the lesser Mafia clans had banded together to rise up against he Darkov's. It appeared that Mr. Clearwater hadn't liked being put under pressure that summer and had decided to do something about it while he thought his daughter was safe at Hogwarts with Dumbledore and out of Manuel Darkov's reach; his limited knowledge of the Darkov clan had been enough to entice at least the two clans to work together and form a plan that might actually have a chance to see success.

The combined clans had attacked the Darkov Manor directly and instigated what might turn into a full-scale Mafia war. Manuel wasn't going to take any chances to the contrary and was calling home the best of his Guards and specialized warriors, the Darkov Clan would prevail and that meant the rival clans had to be destroyed utterly so that none of the other lesser clans decided that banding together might give them a chance. That Manuel was calling Vasile and Nara away from Harry and Blaise's side told both children that at the very least Manuel suspected a trap in the attack and that things were possibly worse than what the letter had hinted, but they had been ordered to stay at the relative safety of Hogwarts under Severus' protection until Vasile and Nara could return.

It made both Harry and Blaise feel helpless and they unhappily realized that they would probably feel like this often over the next few years until they graduated from Hogwarts, waiting for the news that those they cared about were safe. It also made them realize how much they had actually been kept out of the action when they had been at home, the times they had actually faced real and deadly battle having been when there hadn't been time for them to get to a safe vantage point or when they had been attacked off the grounds. These realizations drove Harry and Blaise to their practice room within the castle the moment classes were over for the day where they worked on honing their skills, determined to drive away the helpless feelings assailing them.

… … … … …

"I can't believe it," both Harry and Blaise were fuming, but Blaise was being a bit more vocal about it at the moment, "I can't believe we're being banned from Hogsmead because Vasile and Nara aren't here. He can't do this! Our permission slips are signed. That meddling old man doesn't have the right!"

Harry punched a suit of armor, physically venting his frustration and actually halting Blaise's tirade as she stared at him in a mixture of shock and amusement. They had both been eager to go to Hogsmead that day to get out of the suffocating confines of the castle and forget everything that was going on so that they could just enjoy themselves. They also needed to pick up a few things necessary for a prank idea they had been tinkering with.

"I feel better," Harry grinned at Blaise before his eyes darkened in fury again, "and you're right, he can't stop us from going to Hogsmead. We'll go anyhow, even if we have to sneak out."

A sound had Harry lunging around the corner just in time to startle the twins into falling flat on their arses.

"Hiya, Harry," the two grinned unrepentantly, "we couldn't help but overhear..."

"Eavesdrop," Blaise and Harry corrected together.

"…and we'd like to offer our services and a gift."

Harry and Blaise exchanged glances, wariness hidden deep within their eyes before they looked back at the twins and the tattered parchment they held out in their hands.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "are you going to make me ask?"

The twins grins grew even wider, "this, dear Harry, is the secret of our success. We humbly present to you the Marauders map."

Harry felt his muscles tense slightly in recognition of the name, but refused to react otherwise.

"We are presenting this to you," the twins continued, "it is a map of the castle, complete with secret passages and the position of anyone within the castle at any time. It tears at us to hand this over to you, but we know you'll put it to good use and we've already memorized every usable passage on it."

The twins handed over the blank parchment to Harry and Blaise and Harry studied it for a good long moment before turning back to the twins, "how do you activate it?"

Fred took out his wand and tapped the parchment, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"

Ink spidered out from the center of the parchment, flowing and linking to form the rooms and corridors that made up the castle, moving dots marking the inhabitants.

"To clear it, merely state 'mischief managed' and it will go blank," George informed them, "We recommend this passage to get out of the castle, it'll take you out to Honeydukes cellar. The map will show you what to do. Now you had best get going, it seems Filch is back to prowling the halls."

"And what about you?" Harry's voice halted the twins as they headed towards the front doors to leave for Hogsmeade, "Filch will think you've been up to something since you haven't left yet, so you might as well show us this tunnel personally."

The twins exchanged glances before turning around and Fred looped his arms with Blaise while George did the same with Harry to escort them down the hall, "right you are. We don't want him thinking we had anything to do with the dungbombs hidden inside the suits of armor outside his office, now do we?"

Harry repressed a chuckle at the thought of Filch's reaction even as his mind was turning over what the twins had told them about the map. This was just the sort of clue he needed to crack the secret of the journal, he would definitely work on it tonight after they returned from Hogsmeade, but right now he wasn't going to worry about it; it was so much easier to ignore the existence of the journal now that it wasn't such an incomprehensible mystery.

* * *

Posted On: March 30, 2006


	13. Hogsmeade

_Well, I've finished all the projects and essays I had due for my classes, now I just have to take finals. Speaking of which, back to studying I go. 'Head drops as author walks back towards the gallows…'_

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 13:_ Hogsmeade

Hogsmeade was both more and less than Harry had expected after hearing the other students talk about the village. In truth, it was basically another Diagon Alley except with different shops, residential homes, and no confused muggles wandering around trying to take everything in. He could only conclude that it wasn't Hogsmeade itself that inspired all the excitement, but the permission of being outside Hogwarts grounds without parental supervision; it was also a chance to gloat over and regale the younger years with stories about a place that was forbidden to them.

Harry had left Hogwarts through the secret passage along with Blaise and the twins, coming up out of the cellar in Honeydukes basement; it had been really easy to sneak out of the basement and act as if they had been there the whole time that Harry hadn't even bothered with the invisibility cloak that he had taken to carrying in his bag so that it was on hand for whenever needed. There they had joined the throng of students already in the village and spent a good half-hour pouring over all the different flavors of candy, some which could only be found in Honeydukes, and arranged for an owl-order package to be sent to Manuel with the wizarding sweets. Then, the quartet headed for Zonko's.

There they found themselves to be in heaven, or the next place to it. They loaded up on anything and everything they thought they could use in a prank, from magick string to dungbombs and enchanted paint. As they shopped, Harry and Blaise imagined all the new pranks they could come up with and cursing the fact that they wouldn't be able to use them at home unless they pranked Manuel or Trevor's rooms, and that was a line they weren't foolish enough to cross. Hallways and public rooms were fair game, even the offices had been hit by pranks, but private rooms were considered off-limits. The guards wouldn't even attempt to prank their bunkmates within their shared rooms, knowing that the bedrooms were the only true sanctuary for the ones who had no home other than the Manor. Harry and Blaise still felt a bit awkward about the odd prank they had set up in one of the Slytherin dorm rooms because of the unspoken rule they had grown up under.

"Hey!" Fred yelled them over to one corner of Zonko's, where he had stumbled upon a new product "over here! Look what I found!"

"Singing Pills," Blaise read the label, "slip in victim's food or drink for an entertaining evening."

Harry continued to read further, "we can even spell the pills to specific songs, or stick with the random song already spelled to the pill."

"We can get any number of people in the Great Hall at dinner with these," the twins were grinning in a way that boded ill for anyone who had crossed them recently, "but we need something more to the prank."

Harry and Blaise exchanged glances and chimed together, "costumes!" before beginning to outline a plan with the twins.

… … … … …

"No!" Harry shook his head adamantly, "there is no way I want to see Snape spelled into a tutu. I like being alive, thank you very much, in fact staying alive has sort of become a hobby of mine. Pick someone else for the tutu and leave Snape out of this altogether. If he ends up involved and we're found out, which we most likely will be since all pranks are immediately pointed at you two, we'll spend the rest of the year cleaning caustic potions out of cauldrons with our tongues."

The twins pouted for a moment before seeing the wisdom in this and then perked up as they latched onto their favorite victim, "Filch!"

Blaise shuddered at the imagery, "eugh, I'd rather be forced to see Hagrid in a tutu than Filch, that's just nasty."

The twins exchanged looks and shrugged, "that works just as well. Hagrid gets the tutu. Filch will get the evening gown."

Blaise shuddered again, but refrained from commenting in case the twins decided to stick Filch in a swimsuit instead. It was going to be quite the entertaining evening by the time they were done planning this massive prank.

"What about Dumbledore in—" Harry abruptly cut off, turning his head slightly and motioning for silence as he did; after a moment the other three were able to hear the conversation taking place on the other side of the slightly ajar door right behind where Harry was sitting.

"Sirius Black has been seen in the area," the voice was that of a man, filled with pomp and assumed authority, "I of course decided to come out to see that there was enough security around the school."

"Do you think he'll try and get into the school, Minister?" The silently listening quartet easily recognized Madam Rosmerta's distinctive voice.

The first voice, that of the Minister returned, "I'm sure of it. It's what he escaped to do, get the Potter boy and all."

"I still can't believe Sirius was capable of betraying Lily and James," McGonagall almost sounded as if she were about to try, "they were always such friends, troublemakers, but James and Sirius were like brothers to each other."

"I met him!" growled Hagrid. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people. I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!—"

"Hagrid, please!" McGonagall shushed the big man, "keep your voice down!"

"—how was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily an' James? He told me ter give Harry to him, he was his godfather he said, but I'd had me orders for Dumbledore. What if I'd given Harry to him, eh? I bet he'd've pitched him off that motorbike of his halfway out ter sea. His bes' friends' son! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to 'em anymore…"

A long silence followed Hagrid's story, a story Harry already knew from Trevor, and he didn't feel like listening to anymore of it.

"Come on," he whispered softly to the other three, "let's get out of here before they decide to leave. We don't need to get caught, McGonagall knows Blaise and I aren't allowed out of the castle."

Nodding, they all rose and quietly slipped out the front door without drawing too much attention to themselves. In silent agreement they meandered aimlessly away from the Three Broomsticks as if they had not a care in the world, acting as if nothing more was going on than four friends spending the day in Hogsmeade. Tactfully, the twins didn't ask anything about what they had heard in the Three Broomsticks. After a bit of this aimless wandering, they made a brief stop into the local bookstore where Harry bought a new book on jinxes and dueling magic.

"I still want a drink," George said as they left the store, "lets head on over to the Hog's Head bar. It's not as nice or as clean as the Three Broomsticks, but it's there or Madam Puddifoot's and we refuse to go to that place of horror."

Harry glanced at Blaise and she shrugged back, neither of them were really strangers to the darker and more slummier environs, but they were also used to having either their fathers or a few Guards with them when they went to such places.

"Sure, let's go to the Hog's Head," Harry decided it couldn't hurt to check the place out, "I heard some of the girls giggling about Madam Puddifoot's earlier and I don't want to get anywhere near that place."

"Lead on good sirs," Blaise said teasingly to the twins to show her agreement.

In high spirits, the twins lead the way to the Hog's Head, but calmed down drastically once they reached the actual establishment and Harry and Blaise could understand why as they sensed the hushed atmosphere around the place. Exchanging looks warning the other to be watchful, they slipped into the bar after the twins, fingers tingling and ready to grab for weapons at a moments notice so that it was almost a let down when no one attacked them.

… … … … …

"That place wasn't so bad," Blaise said as they emerged about an hour later, "even the glasses were fine after a scouring charm and a refill."

"It would—" Harry was abruptly cut off as two men slid from the shadowed alley next to the Hog's Head, he vaguely recognized having seen them leave the bar a while before them.

"Well, well," one of the men sneered, "it seems the rumors are true. The Little Darkov Prince is a wizard, and known as Harry Potter no less."

"Damn," Harry muttered softly under his breath, edging back a few steps to give him room to fight only to find the way blocked.

"Oy!" the twins were now standing right behind Harry and Blaise, "what's going on here?"

"Nothing that concerns you," the second man sneered.

"I think it does," Fred just had to go and act like a Gryffindor.

"Fred, George," Harry kept his voice under control, "get out of here."

"What!" The twins were disbelieving as the two unknown men laughed, "we're not leaving you!"

Harry and Blaise attacked, using the strangers' amusement against them. The men were good though, and while Harry and Blaise managed to make contact with their assailant, they were easily repelled. A few more times Harry and Blaise attempted to take the men out with martial arts, but after Harry founds himself doing an awkward flip to regain his balance when thrown back he and Blaise stopped. Realizing that this wasn't going to be a simple knock-your-opponent-out fight, Harry and Blaise slipped their wands free from beneath their robes and stood at the ready.

"Oh ho, the little kitties have wands."

"We have claws too," Blaise retorted, incensed, her fingers caressing her knife a bit nervously.

"I'm sure you do," the first man retorted, sending a spell hurtling towards them.

Harry and Blaise fell into a routine of dodging and spell-casting, mentally repeating in their heads the tactics and tricks Severus and Trevor had taught them of dueling. Thankfully, the men seemed less skilled with their wands, their strong point apparently being physical fighting. Then, the men made a mistake; they forgot about the twins and dismissed them as not being a threat compared to Harry and Blaise. Fred shot off a jelly-leg jinx at the one man, allowing Blaise the chance to stun him. George actually jumped at the other man, giving Harry the chance to use a trick one of the Guards had taught him where he applied pressure with his thumb on a pressure point at the man's neck, knocking him unconscious.

"What now?" Blaise was panting, Harry not doing much better as he fought to calm his body down from the adrenaline rush that had hit him.

"I don't know," Harry was lost on what to do, "we can't let them go, can't let enemies at our back, but I don't know who to turn them into either considering Dumbledore banned us from the village."

"What if we said we were the ones attacked and we knocked them out," Fred spoke up.

Harry shook his head, "they'd want to know why you were attacked, how you defeated them, and something would end up slipping. Always stick to as close to the truth as you can, lies often change and get too hard to keep straight after a while."

"I remember Manuel saying that," Blaise commented, her eyes on the two men as she reluctantly signed to Harry and asked if they would have to 'finish the job'.

Harry shook his head in reply to the silent question, he had been thinking the same thing and he didn't really want to kill the men despite the fact that they probably would have killed him in the end. He would have felt bad to kill the men in a fight, but to kill them while unconscious like they were…he just couldn't see himself doing it even though he knew one of the Guards were if they were here. Then there was the fact that Fred and George were still standing there, watching both him and Blaise with interest. A shuffling sound from behind them had Harry and Blaise instantly whirling, wands out, the twins mimicking the movement a bit slower.

"I'll take care of these," it was the bartender from the Hog's Head, "they won't bother you anymore. You just tell Trevor I said hi."

Then with nothing more than a muttered spell, the bartender levitated the two unconscious forms away down the alley, leaving the four Hogwarts students standing there to stare after him for as long as he was visible.

"Weird," George muttered, voicing the thought that was echoing within all their minds.

Fred nodded and turned to Harry and Blaise, "and speaking of weird, you need to teach us how to fight like that!"

Harry sighed, "we'll worry about that later. Right now I really think we should slip back through Honeydukes to Hogwarts. We've been lucky that our duel didn't attract any attention, but we don't know how much longer that'll last. We need to go."

Splitting into pairs, Fred and George openly made their way to Honeydukes while Harry and Blaise slipped in and out of the alleyways between the shops. Thankfully, Honeydukes was still pretty crowded when they headed for the trap door, many students trying to spend the last of their pocket money and stock up on sweets before they had to head back to the castle for the dinner-time curfew. All the while, Harry and Blaise remained tense and alert, wondering who else might be waiting to attack them since the first pair had discovered Harry. The two men had obviously had Mafia connections since they had called Harry the Little Darkov Prince, which meant that the wizarding and muggle world was more entwined than they had previously guessed. They would have to send an owl home as soon as it was possible to do so.

Of course, it seemed as if things no longer wanted to go their way that day, for the moment they stepped foot in the Slytherin common room to grab parchment and quill Severus was waiting for them with raised eyebrow.

"Imagine my surprise when I came looking to see if you wanted to work on some dueling earlier. Did you have fun in Hogsmeade today?"

Harry nearly groaned, but managed a forced smirk instead, "loads."

* * *

Posted On: May 13, 2006


	14. Revelations

'Ties noose around own neck…' _I wouldn't blame any of you for pulling the lever right now, I don't know why it took me so long to actually get anything written on this story and I don't know how long the next chapter will take either. I have part of a chapter for Desert Warrior written, but the rest just doesn't want to come right now._

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 14:_ Revelations

"I'm not sure what to think," Fred broke the silence, "we knew there was something we didn't know, but now…I think it's bigger than we ever imagined."

George sighed and shifted his position on the bed and double checked to make sure the privacy wards were still undisturbed; both he and Fred were feeling unusually paranoid that night. Sure they had reason to be after the attack that afternoon, but most of their unease wasn't because of the attack but because of the mystery surrounding their two friends.

"We knew they were rich," George started to frame some of his thoughts out loud, "and thought that all the guards were because of that, like the guards were a non-magical form of the wards the rich purebloods have around their estates—"

"But now we're not sure," Fred picked up the thought, "not after today's confrontation and some of the weird things that were said. The man called Harry the Darkov Prince the way most wizards call him as the Boy-who-lived."

"A title…"

"…an identity."

"And the way they fought…"

"It was like they were trained to do it…"

"…like they were taught to expect to be attacked."

The twins fell back into silent contemplation for a while, both thinking back to small happenings that had occurred when they had stayed over at Harry's house. Little things that hadn't seemed much more than odd occurrences, such as a plan to go outside suddenly changing after a strange noise or a glance at one of the guards, now began to become incidents with meaning. The only problem was that Fred and George had no idea what the meaning was. Sure they now knew a lot more about the muggle world than what they had before meeting Harry and Blaise, but they also knew that what they had learned was limited to small areas of the muggle world and it wasn't enough to make a factual guess on. It was Fred's turn to sigh.

"I think we shouldn't say anything right now," he flopped back onto a pillow, "we need more facts, but I don't want to bug those two to tell us something they don't want to."

George lay down next to his twin, "they'd probably hex us into oblivion if we pried, but maybe they'll tell us something soon, after all, they haven't told us to get lost yet."

George felt more than saw Fred's grin, "we do need to get them to teach us how to fight without wands though."

"Yeah, that was cool."

"Harry and Blaise kicked ass."

George snorted, "if they teach us that'll give them permission to kick our ass."

Fred grinned, "then we'll prank them in retaliation."

"They'll just prank us right back."

"It'll start a prank war to end all prank wars."

"Let's do it," the two chimed together, glad they had the privacy ward up as their excited voices strayed above a whisper.

"G'night Gred," Fred burrowed down into the mound of blankets and pillows.

"G'night Forge," George yawned back and turned onto his side to extinguish the floating globe of light that hovered above them to cast a soft glow over the bed, plunging their little world behind the curtains into darkness.

… … … … …

The roof had been surprisingly easy to get to, which was actually a relief for Harry and Blaise as they weren't quite feeling up to a challenge as they normally would. They had considered staying in the Slytherin common room for their discussion, but didn't feel like disabling any of the listening charms that were probably scattered through the room by some other Slytherin looking for blackmail to use. Most of the castle itself was unsuitable as well thanks to the presence of the ever-inquisitive portraits, so they had settled for the roof where they could lie out under the stars the twinkled in the still embrace of night.

"I didn't like it," Harry finally whispered to Blaise, for once wanting to admit to feeling out of his league, "I felt myself hesitating to go into the fight, wanted to second guess the moves I made."

"Me too," Blaise seemed to scoot closer to his side, "the whole fight felt wrong, and it wasn't just because the twins were there."

"It was because we didn't have backup," Harry forced the brutal truth out from between his lips, "I felt like this last year when I went into the Chamber of Secrets, but let my resolve to avenge you push the feeling away. We've never been in fights before where we didn't have backup or know that help was within a short distance; that gave us confidence and a reckless courage."

"And this time we also had the twins to worry about," Blaise added, "before we only had each other's backs to watch even though we knew someone else was watching them as well. We got a taste of what our dad's must go through every time an attack happens, knowing that others could get hurt because of something we did or didn't do."

"The burden of leadership," Harry murmured, "the burden of another's life. If the bartender hadn't come out when he did we would have had to make a decision over those men's lives."

Harry closed his eyes as images flashed through his mind, memories of some of the training he had been undergoing with his father. Even then, even when his father had been teaching him to fight with the knowledge that he would someday have to kill an enemy that might already be down, he hadn't been without the support and backup of an adult. Blaise's hand covered his own and he turned it so that their palms touched and they could lock fingers.

"We would have had to _obliviate_ the twins then," Blaise said unhappily, "and while they wouldn't have looked at us any differently after that, we would have known that they had seen us take a life."

"It's bad enough they've seen anything at all," Harry squeezed Blaise's hand, "and I worry that we've made them targets just by being their friends. Do we really want to draw them into our lifestyle? I wish the answer to this was something that our father's could have taught to us, not something that we must learn by through trial and error. This is something, these doubts are something, that they could never prepare us for even though they probably went through it themselves."

"I wish they were here now to tell us that everything will be alright," Blaise didn't care at that moment if she seemed weak and childish, only the stars and Harry were there to hear her, "I wish they were here so that we knew they were alright."

One corner of Harry's mouth lifted up into a half-smile, "and I wish there was a shooting star right now so that your wishes could come true. It's almost a shame that real magic isn't more like the fairytales so that our wishes would come true."

Blaise laughed softly, "we wouldn't have any fun if it were though and speaking of which, we have classes and 'detention' with Severus tomorrow. We should probably head in."

"That is one detention I'm not looking forward to," Harry shook his head with a snort, "if all the students hadn't started coming back just then Severus would have had us spilling the whole story earlier. Now he'll have more time to think on what he wants to ask us."

"Basic truth will be the best," Blaise sighed as she voiced what both of them knew, "and at least we got one unsupervised outing in Hogsmeade even if we never get another one anytime soon. We should find out more about the bartender, and what should we do about the twins? We can't exactly avoid them tomorrow or people will know something's up."

"I think it'll be better to wait and ask Trevor about the bartender, and as for the twins we'll act as we normally would. Act as if nothing had happened. I don't want to pull the twins any further into anything and I don't think they'll press us for answers right yet, though I'd bet anything that they know something is up. If they weren't so carefree about a lot of things those two would have been in Slytherin. I am seriously considering their request on teaching them to fight hand-to-hand though, we'll think on it a bit more before actually doing anything though."

Blaise nodded and the two fell silent as they continued to gaze up at the sky, trying to think of anything they still needed to discuss before heading in to sleep. It didn't take long for both of them to conclude that they had covered the most important parts for the time being, anything else could wait for another day when they were so emotionally keyed up, but neither of them made a move to pick up the broom they had used to get onto the roof. It was such a peaceful night despite the upheaval of the day and both were content to just lay there and enjoy it until the necessity of time drove them back indoors to the closed confines of the dungeons where they parted ways for their beds. No matter how long they wanted to bask in the peace of the starry night and hide from the whispered revelations that had occurred upon the silent roof, tomorrow would come and the only thing they could do was be ready to face it.

* * *

Posted On: June 15, 2006


	15. As Many As You Can

To address an issue that popped up on a review from one of the first two years of this series: I know Sensei isn't an actual name, but that's the only thing anyone knows to call Sensei by. He hasn't given them any other name/title to call him by but that.

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 15:_ As Many As You Can

Manuel gazed out over the silently arrayed men and women before him as they gathered together in the center of the locked down house. Easily Manuel picked out his Daggers, Wolves, and Shadows out from the fifty-three Guards making it a total of seventy-one people in the room; that left him with the lower numbers in this battle as roughly sixty-one of his men hadn't been in residence when they had gone into lockdown. Yet those seventy-one present were the best in the business, he had personally had a hand in training many of them, but over the past few nights they had come across something not even these warriors could handle without more knowledge of what they were up against. They were facing magic.

Alain Clearwater had made a big mistake when he had dared work with other clans to go against the Darkovs, that alone had been enough to make Manuel want to completely destroy the man and leave him hanging onto the dredges of society like a sniveling worm, but to bring magic into the mix in an underhanded bid to completely wipe out the Darkov clan—Alain had just signed his own death warrant, and almost that of his family as well. The only things that were keeping him from decreeing the complete wipeout of the Clearwater family was Harry's friendship with the daughter and the fact that Faye Clearwater had went against her husband to come warn him about the converging clans. Faye was currently submitting peacefully to being detained by the Darkov Clan and had willingly handed her wand over to Trevor upon arrival.

Manuel's eyes skimmed around the corners of the room where Trevor, Nara, Vasile, and Bill stood in the shadows as they continued to hold up the hasty set of wards the four of them had constructed about the house. Already he could tell that it was taking a toll on them, sweat beading upon their foreheads; they had been holding the wards in shifts since that morning, but had been reduced to shoring them up together as their strength waned. None of them would last much longer, Manuel was certain they had only lasted this long out of sheer stubbornness and defiance against giving in.

"We've seen some pretty strange shit," Manuel spoke suddenly, bluntly, and all attention turned to him, "but I think today has won the prize by becoming the Halloween fairytale from Hell and I think you deserve the truth of what's going on. Bluntly put, magic is real. There is a whole secret world out there full of Witches and Wizards who are able to do magic. We even have a few here among us, and hopefully more to come and turn the tide of this battle in our favor."

Most of the Daggers, Shadows, Wolves, and Guards arrayed around the room shifted silently as they tried to let the news sink in. Thankfully it wasn't all that hard for most of them to grasp the truth of Manuel's words after what they had seen earlier that evening when beams of light had began to shoot from random locations to pick off the Guards. They had lost one of their number to a flash of green light and another was currently in a coma-like state thanks to a curse Trevor called Cruciatus. Manuel's fist clenched tight as he remembered Neil's vacant stare and twitching body. Alain would pay, he would see to it personally. Manuel glanced at Vasil and Nara again. He hoped Harry and Blaise were alright, that Alain hadn't thought to send a hit out on them while they were at Hogwarts and their bodyguards recalled.

The more Manuel thought about it, the more his blood ran cold and he wanted to send the Dagger and Wolf back to the school. But he also needed them here, here where the battle would rage the hottest and they were the least defensible against magic attacks. Severus would be watching out for them too, Manuel had come to respect the man as he had gotten to know the Professor and was considering seeing if he would take up commission as a Shadow; Severus would make an excellent spy. Yes, Harry and Blaise would be fine as long as Severus was there to watch over them.

"What are we going to do then?"

"Will out bullets have any effect against these witches and wizards?"

"How many do we have on our side?"

The questions came from various places around the room and Manuel decided to answer the last two first.

"Bullets will kill them," Manuel stated with certainty, glad he and Trevor had discussed this very thing the year the kids had started Hogwarts, "though if the person is strong enough and has enough warning they can put up a shield of some sort to stop them. Right now we have three wizards and a witch on our side, but they are using all their energy to shield the house so that the witches and wizards can't get in to us. Hopefully more will come to our aid soon."

"Who?"

If possible the room went even quieter and Manuel didn't even pretend to misunderstand the question. They wanted to know who among them was a wizard or witch. Surreptitiously Manuel glanced at the four again and received nods in return; they would stand by their earlier decision and reveal themselves.

"Bill, Nara, Vasile, and Trevor." Manuel pronounced each name clearly, enjoying the looks of shock the last name in particular caused.

Then, not giving those gathered a chance to ask any more questions, Manuel went to outline the decided plan of attack.

"We'll arrange into groups of three and slip out the lower access doors of the mansion. These will be Fart missions: silent and deadly. I want you to slip in and out of the enemy lines, leaving no warning that you were there but for the corpses left to nurture the ground with their blood. A few sniper teams will—"

An out of place noise was the only warning they had before a group of five people suddenly appeared out of thin air into the supposedly secure house. A few yells were let out, guns and knives were drawn as well as a handful of wands, and things would have turned badly if Trevor hadn't let a loud bang out of his wand—in hindsight not such a good idea as all the guns in the room were suddenly pointed at him—as he called for a halt.

"STAND DOWN!" Trevor's order carried enough force that every obeyed despite the fact that the Guards had suddenly been sure that the enemy wizards had managed to break in.

"Nice reception you arranged here, Trevor," one of the wizards gave a humorless grin as he slid his wand away, pointedly eyeing a few of the guns still pointed at him.

"Arnold." Trevor nodded in greeting before turning to each of the others in turn, "Melinda. Andromeda. Gawain. Fabian."

Bill started at the last name, his gaze having fallen upon the final man in the group. A man that he had grown up hearing bedtime stories about and seen many times in pictures, albeit with a lot fewer scars.

"Uncle Fabian?" The question managed to choke its way out of Bill's mouth into the uneasy silence, drawing quick glances between the two from all over the room.

"Hello nephew," Fabian dipped his head slightly in acknowledgement, his voice carrying lowly through the charged atmosphere.

"But—" Bill wasn't able to get anything else out in his shock and nearly lost his hold on the section of the ward he was shoring up.

"We'll talk later," Fabian's intense eyes scanned the room, seemingly unconcerned about the number of guns still pointed at him as well, "I owe you that much at least, but I'll have your promise not to say a word to the rest of the family."

Reluctantly Bill gave his word in the form of a curt nod, feeling confused and even slightly betrayed as he turned back to face Manuel as the Mafia King regained order in the room and began to outline the rest of the plan, making spur of the moment changes to accommodate the additional witches and wizards into the scheme of things. Right now there was a battle to face, but Bill swore that he would come out of this unscathed if for no other reason than to confront his supposedly deceased uncle after everything was finished.

… … … … …

Manuel moved slowly along the edge of the house, his sights set on the tree line a few hundred yards away where he knew the enemy had bunkered down. They had taken advantage of the tree cover, but that wouldn't help them all that much in the end for these grounds were Manuel's playground and he had his home to defend. Already his mind was cataloging the damage he could see to his house and the surrounding grounds from the dim light of the moon and it caused his blood to boil even more. How dare they come here and invade his sanctuary, the sanctuary of his men! Reaching the point where they could no longer follow along the safety of the house walls, Manuel turned and motioned with his hands to his two companions and gave a nod to let Fabian know that it was time for him to do his part.

A softly muttered word over him as he stretched out to crawl across the ground was the only warning Manuel had before the feeling of cold slime running all down his body hit him. With a shiver Manuel kept himself from reacting or crying out. It was a good thing Fabian had warned him of the disturbing sensation earlier or the wizard would have found himself eating a mouthful of hot lead as Manuel would have lashed out instinctively upon feeling the unusual sensation. Moments later a tap upon his leg, a pre-agreed upon signal, let Manuel know that they were all under the cloaking charm and he began to move forward like a snake in the grass, a small lead-line coming from off his belt running between the three of them to keep them from getting separated.

… … … … …

_Guard's POV_

Manuel and the wizard, the one named Fabian, moved with a grace through the night that made me feel awkward and clumsy. I am nothing more than a simple Guard, though in the Darkov clan there is nothing simple about being a Guard, and yet here I find myself accompanying Manuel. This is a position for a Dagger or Wolf, or even a Shadow or a host of Guards, but they have all been given other important duties. This should be Trevor's place, but Manuel forced him to stay behind because he was exhausted from using magic to shield us in some way; not that Trevor didn't vehemently protest this decision until the one called Arnold knocked him out with magic. I am Manuel's sole backup this evening for I do not trust the wizard, can't trust him after what I have seen this evening.

I flinch as the wizard draws his wand and points it towards Manuel, yet Manuel doesn't move or recoil as I find myself doing when the wand is turned upon me and it suddenly feels as if cold eggs have been broken over my body. Steeling myself despite my discomfort I grab onto the rope that ran between the three of us so that we don't get separated as we crawl through the grass towards the trees. I know that wizard is right in front of me, can sense how close his foot sometimes comes to my face as we crawl across the yard, but I still wish I could see him despite the fact that it would mean our enemies could also see us so that I could watch him for any funny business. At the very least I would feel a lot easier if I was the one behind Manuel with the wizard behind me so that my body would be between the two to act as a shield.

_End Guard's POV_

… … … … …

At the agreed upon time twelve groups of three people each started picking off Clearwater's men with silent efficiency, each person managing to get off at least one shot or spell before the enemy had time to react. Unfortunately this still left Manuel's men severely outnumbered because he hadn't wanted to pull the rest of his men away from the mansion and leave it undefended for the taking; Manuel had a sneaking suspicion that Alain had a group of men and wizards ready to invade the house the moment he made his own move against the besiegers and so had set up a healthy number of traps at the entrances and placed snipers up on the various roof tops. His guess proved accurate as shouts from somewhere behind him alerted him that the invaders had discovered at least one of the traps the hard way, but Manuel didn't have any time to gloat over this as gun and spell fire as suddenly flying through the air from all angles. Manuel's group was slowly and surely being surrounded, the only reason they hadn't been plugged full of bullets being one of Fabian's spells. Gravely Manuel looked at his two companions as he took a firmer grip on the gun in his one hand and unsheathed a knife with the other.

"Take down as many as you can."

… … … … …

"Take down as many as you can."

They were bold words Fabian thought, words that he himself lived by. This Manuel was a muggle he could respect. Eyes blazing with determination Fabian palmed his own knife. He didn't like being surrounded. The last time he had been surrounded like this had been years ago during Voldemort's reign of terror. It had taken eight of them to pull him and his brother down, five of whom had been in Voldemort's Inner Circle. The Inner Circle members had all made it away alive, albeit gravely wounded, but the other three attackers had died—taking his brother Gideon along with them. He himself had been left for dead and in those days no one on the light side stayed around on a battlefield long enough to look for survivors lest they join the dead themselves.

Somehow, miraculously, he had managed to crawl away before the Death Eaters returned to loot the dead and had lain unconscious in a hallow in the ground until he woke again long enough to crawl just a bit further away. Even to this day Fabian didn't know how long he had crawled, but eventually some muggles had found him and taken him to some sort of hospital. By the time he had been able to leave there Lily and James Potter were dead and Voldemort was said to be gone, vanquished by the year old Harry. In Fabian's mind there had been no point in returning to the wizarding world since his brother was dead and he hadn't bothered to let even his own family know he was alive. The only person he had ever kept in touch with after his reemergence into society had been Trevor Zabini, sheer coincidence allowing the two to meet after they had both turned their backs on the wizarding world and decided to live in the muggle one.

An odd grin suddenly crossed Fabian's lips despite the fact that they were surrounded and a quick glance at Manuel earned him a nod of confirmation. It seemed he would still be able to tell that nephew of his the truth of his survival after all. Rising up seemingly out of nowhere to surround those surrounding the three of them was a group of men, Manuel's missing Guards, with none other but Bill and the supposed to be unconscious Trevor leading them.

With the addition of the fifty or so new Guards to the seventy-one that had already been in the house at the moment of lockdown Alain Clearwater's following fractured and split off, unable to hold together without more solid ties than three rival clans deciding to take on a bigger enemy. Some members of the three clans managed to escape that night, but they all knew they were living on borrowed time. Manuel Darkov did not forget slights, and by joining together and rising up against him they had committed a most grievous crime against a very powerful man.

* * *

Posted On: July 29, 2006


	16. Ryle Hira

Wow. I won't promise that I'll start updating this story regularly again, it took me forever to drag the first part of this chapter from the depths of my mind, but the last part pretty much wrote itself.

I will, however, reaffirm that I have _NOT_ abandoned this.

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 16:_ Ryle Hira (_Life is what it is_)

"Get to scrubbing," Severus didn't look up from the papers he was grading as Harry and Blaise walked into his classroom as commanded, causing both of them to wince; Severus really wasn't happy if he wouldn't even make eye contact with them.

Hiding the sighs they knew wouldn't help the situation any, Harry and Blaise obediently picked up the waiting cleaning supplies and started by scrubbing the stacked cauldrons in silence. It brought to mind their first detention with the sneering Potions Master back when they hadn't known him as anything other than their Professor and Head of House.

_Flashback_

_Neither Harry nor Blaise had ever been subjected to having to clean at home beyond keeping their rooms straight or wiping up any spills they might have made, they were used to having some sort of mental or physical exercise assigned as punishment when they had done something wrong. When they had discovered what their detention would be, they had both stared at each other with looks akin to horror after seeing the pile of dirty cauldrons that awaited them. Reluctantly they had begun to awkwardly scrub the encrusted cauldrons, grimacing, but both of them knew better than to voice their thoughts or displeasure at their given task. It had taken them hours to finish the cauldrons only to look up and find Professor Snape standing behind them sneering at their work._

"_Deplorable," he had sneered, "it looks as if you don't know how to scrub properly. Are you both so high and mighty that you don't know how to clean up after yourselves? I'm betting you have maids at home to cater to your every need? Hmm, Mr. Potter? Am I right?"_

_Harry answered, teeth gritted, "We have maids, sir, but they don't cater to us in the slightest."_

"_Then what of this deplorable attempt at cleaning," Professor Snape leered down at him, "are you so pampered that you're never punished at home?"_

"_We're not made to scrub pots when being punished," Harry answered back despite not wishing to, "we're given some task or extra homework to do."_

"_Very well then," the Professor announced, "then since scrubbing cauldrons does not seem to make an impression on you then I want a five hundred word paper on the use of Kneazle toenails in potions on my desk by tomorrow evening. Dismissed."_

_End Flashback_

On the rare occasion they had gotten a detention with Severus after that, and he had actually thought they needed to be disciplined, he had taken to giving them difficult assignments to complete. This was the first time he had set them to cleaning again since he had started instructing them over the summer after their first year and become a friend to them. It didn't bode well for them.

… … … … …

Severus sighed softly, too low to actually be heard, as Harry and Blaise bent to the scrubbing he had left for them. He was actually at a loss on how to deal with them for once; he had never before been so afraid for a pair of students when he had been unable to find them, only to realize they had gone to Hogsmeade. It wasn't even the fact that they had snuck out to Hogsmeade that bothered him, he had done it any number of times himself when he had been a student, it was the fact that they had gone without letting him know when they knew there was danger afoot. It had surprised him on how relieved he had been when he had caught them sneaking back in and so he had recovered by leveling one of his patented glares at them to make them think they were in trouble. He had been willing to let things go, probably would have in fact, if he hadn't talked to the bartender of the Hog's Head later that evening when he had gone to get a stiff drink; Aberforth had told him all about what had happened that morning, grinning about how well Harry and Blaise had held their ground. It had made Severus merely curse the two children even more for not telling him and sneaking off to Hogsmeade without having bodyguards with them; they could have always asked him to go. Perhaps that was another thing that was bugging him, they didn't even seem to have thought to ask him to come along with them and act as their bodyguard. A noise had him looking up.

"Severus," Harry paused before starting again, "we're sorry Severus. We know we worried you and we know it was stupid to go off to Hogsmeade just because we had been told we couldn't. I have a bad habit of doing stuff like that and sometimes Blaise gets dragged along into it."

"Harry can't take all the blame for this," Blaise spoke up, "I wanted to go as well. We've never had to worry much about getting into trouble like that on our own though, usually we have guards or our fathers with us. We never thought we'd be recognized and attacked in Hogsmeade with so many other people wandering around, we were unprepared and didn't think out the consequences."

For a long moment Severus stared at the two overly mature children standing in front of him as they attempted to apologize for their behavior. He knew it wasn't something they did often. Severus took a mental breath and loosened the emotions he had been building up inside before accepting their apology in the only way he knew how.

"Those cauldrons better be spotless and sparkling," he told them warningly, "and if you ever do anything like that again I'll show exactly why I made such a good Death Eater."

Harry and Blaise grinned and ducked their heads sheepishly. Severus suddenly reminded them of their fathers when they were trying to be stern with them instead of acting like big softies.

… … … … …

Ciara circled the Great Hall the next morning, prudently waiting for the flock of lesser trained mail-birds to drop their packages off before landing majestically in front of Harry to present him with a letter. It was a coded letter from Manuel. Grinning at each other in shared relief, Harry and Blaise bent their heads together over the paper.

_The main assault has been routed, but I will need to borrow Nara_ _and Vasile for a while longer. This most recent altercation has brought about the need to operate in silence so we can flush out the last remaining members of the uprising against us. This will be harder than we wish it to be though, the other side has firm ties within the wizarding world. I expect this warning to keep you cautious, Severus will be there for you if you need him. Letters from him inform me that you have been keeping out of trouble—_

Harry and Blaise exchanged incredulous glances at this part of the note before grinning at what they read next.

_--you should know I doubt that greatly. I also need to inform you of our new allies from the wizarding world._ _Arnold_ _Peasegood, Melinda Bobbin, Andromeda Tonks, Gawain Robards, and Fabian Prewett._ _Look into these people so that you will know them and what they do should you ever need to call upon their help, but keep quiet about it and stay safe. I will see you soon._

Harry looked at Blaise to make sure she was done with the letter before he folded it and stuck it down deep into one of his pockets. There would be just enough time to get to a fire somewhere and shred the letter before burning it; even though Manuel had written it in the family's personal code, Harry knew better than to leave evidence lying around for longer than necessary.

… … … … …

Penny's letter arrived at dinner and Harry knew the moment the pretty girl's face went ashen what the letter contained. Silently he cursed his father for not including the fact that Alain Clearwater had been among the casualties; he knew the man had been a key part of the uprising but had figured he had been one of the ones that managed to escape. He just hoped that the man had died quickly in the fighting, because if Manuel had gotten a hold of the man personally…Harry saw the tears start to roll down Penny's cheeks and found himself abruptly standing to walk to the girl's side, pushing through the clinging group of girls that now surrounded the sobbing Penny. Predictably Blaise was right behind him.

"Come on Penny," Harry knew he was a bit rough as he hauled the girl to her feet, but she didn't need to be fawned over by a group of clueless girls right now, "let's get you out of here."

Blindly Penny let Harry and Blaise lead her from the Great Hall, Professor Flitwick intercepting them at the doors of the Great Hall and leading them to one of the sitting rooms usually used for waiting visitors.

"Oh dear," Professor Flitwick squeaked, "what is wrong Ms. Clearwater? Is there anything I can do?"

Penny shook her head wildly, her tears splashing on them as she sniffled uncontrollably, "my…my dad—he's…"

Flitwick understood, patting Penny's shoulder awkwardly, "oh my dear, is there anything I can do to help?"

Penny's tears seemed to be subsiding some, but there was an anger kindling in her eyes that Flitwick didn't notice. "Could you find Percy and tell him what's happened, please? My mother will be coming for me in the morning."

Happy to be able to do something, Flitwick acceded to the request and left the room just as Penny wished he would. It would take the professor a few minutes to find Percy and explain matters to him.

"Penny—" Harry began, only to be cut off abruptly.

"Don't!" There was pain in Penny's voice, "don't say it! I hate you, both of you. It's your fault. Yours, and your father's, and my mothers! She betrayed him, betrayed him to your fathers! How could she! How could she! How could my father be so stupid…?"

Penny's voice had risen to a near shout as she spoke, but tapered off on the last. Penny's eyes swept up so that she was staring Harry in the eye, her hate now hidden behind a deep and forlorn sadness.

"I won't say anything," her voice was flat, emotionless, "I respect my mother's command on that matter, but I want you two to stay away from me. Maybe someday I'll forgive this, but right now I can't, I hate you too much."

"I understand," Harry kept his voice clipped and emotionless as well, "we will respect your wishes."

Glancing over Penny one last time Harry executed a short, sharp bow to the girl and left the room. Blaise followed quickly behind, pausing only long enough to give the forlorn Penny a glance filled with pity. Penny might not understand now, she had been thrust too brutally into the realities of a life filled with Mafia ties, but one day she would realize that by sacrificing the life of her husband Faye Clearwater had ensured her daughter would live on.

* * *

Posted On: April 17, 2007


	17. Camping Out

I have a new story in the works, should I go ahead and lynch myself now or would you all like the honors? If you decide against lynching me, should I go ahead and post the first chapter or should I wait until I finish another story? I'm leaving this one up to you.

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 17:_ Camping Out

Penny still wasn't back in school as the holidays approached and Harry had come to the decision that despite his earlier belief of a fairly quick resolution between them that it wasn't going to be that easy. It bothered him slightly, but there was nothing he could do about it. Another thing that was bothering Harry was that his father and Trevor had ordered both him and Blaise to remain at school that Christmas. Vasile and Nara hadn't returned to Hogwarts and most likely would not that year; they were needed more at home and Manuel had discovered evidence that Sirius Black was not the threat to Harry that everyone believed him to be. There were other threats in the magical world, of course, but with Trevor's crowd on the move those threats were growing ever smaller. Of course that did not take into account Sirius Black breaking into Gryffindor Tower the night before the train came to carry students back home for the holidays.

… … … … …

"Get up, quickly," Harry woke before Severus uttered the words, had in fact woken the moment his Head of House had opened the door to the first year's dorm; his roommates however were a bit slow to comply and found themselves drenched with cold water from Severus' wand.

"This is no time to tarry," Severus snarled at the dripping wet Crabbe and Goyle, "there's been a break-in at Gryffindor Tower. You will be spending the rest of the night in the Great Hall with the other students."

There was a hidden message for them all behind those words. They were to hurry, yes, but they were also to show up in the Great Hall looking like Slytherins and not as if they had just been rudely roused from bed. With the ease of much practice Harry swung himself out of bed, slipping a thin knife from under his pillow into his shirt sleeve before grabbing his wand. He had no need to change or put on additional clothing beyond slipping his feet into the shoes lying at the ready beside his bed. On impulse Harry also grabbed his cloak from the hook beside his bed.

Then, without waiting to see how his roommates were faring Harry left the dorm and headed towards the common room knowing that Blaise would be there shortly if she wasn't already. Both their fathers had drilled into their heads at a young age that even in sleep you must be prepared, that it was best to sleep in clothes that could double as everyday wear in case you found yourself woken suddenly for an emergency. Judging by the complete emptiness of the common room when he arrived, most of his housemates hadn't been taught the same lesson. Blaise joined him a few moments later.

"It's insane," she huffed as she joined Harry where he was standing, ready to move quickly if needed, "they're in there primping as if heading out for the day instead of there being an emergency."

Harry sighed, "and nine chances out of ten we'll get in serious trouble if we head to the Great Hall alone."

"You would be correct there, Mr. Potter," Severus gave a ghost of a smile when both Harry and Blaise tensed but managed to keep from whirling to face him, showing that they trusted him at their backs, "should you do anything so foolish I would have to forget my place as your teacher and tan your backside myself. The one who broke into Gryffindor Tower was Sirius Black. The Headmaster will be allowing the Dementors in to help search soon."

Harry absorbed this news without blinking, "and yet he got past all the dementors on guard. They have seemed to be more of a problem then help, now this has just confirmed it. There is always the possibility that Black used one of the passageways, he did attend school here after all. But why go to Gryffindor Tower? If he was after me like everyone thinks, but we know not to be the case, then he would have come to the dungeons. It's no secret that I'm not a Gryffindor, in fact I doubt there's anyone in the wizarding world that doesn't know I'm a Slytherin. So why the Tower? What's up there that he wants?"

Severus shook his head to show that he didn't know and melted back into the shadows as other students began to stumble into the common room, herded in by the Prefects who had been sent by Severus to wake them.

"What's going on? Why the bloody hell are we being woken up this late?" Quite a few of them were grumbling to each other.

Severus gave them another moment before stepping from the shadows again, "next time when told there is an emergency—" and here his gaze turned to some of the Slytherin girls, and even a few of the boys, who had primped before heading from their rooms, "—I expect you to hurry. There is an intruder in the school and all students will be spending the night, until the intruder is found, sealed in the Great Hall. Keep up or suffer the consequences, the Dementors will be entering the school soon to aid in the search."

The common room burst into uproar, totally inappropriate at a time that they needed to move in haste, but they all knew what the Dementors were from the train visit earlier that year and they were not Gryffindors to take the new bravely. They were, however, Slytherins, and such a display of fearful emotion even in the private of their common room was anathema to all that they were supposed to be.

"What?" The annoyingly familiar voice was shrill, "Dumbledore can't, my father won't allow this! What if those things come near us?!"

Severus glared those who were making noise into silence, "move. Fifth years spread out amongst the first four years. Sixth and Seventh surround them watching outwards. Prefects split into two groups, one to the front and one behind. I will hear no further noise, we walk in silence"

Due to the severity of the situation, the Slytherins actually complied with the order and all seventh years and their Head of House arrived at the Great Hall in orderly silence. They were the last house there, but nothing was said as the Professors directed them to take seats at their house table so a head count could be taken. It took a few minutes since most of the students were still shifting around and talk was buzzing like mad up and down the tables, but soon the head count was complete and all but Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout left the hall to join the Dementors on the search through Hogwarts. Dumbledore was the last of the staff to leave the Great Hall, the large doors sealing with a grinding, sucking sound, not to open again unless the Headmaster unsealed them.

"Well then," Madam Pomfrey turned from the newly sealed doors and towards the students, "we're in for a long night, we'd best get you settled."

Using the brisk organization that kept the Hospital Wing running so smoothly, Madam Pomfrey soon had students that were able to conjuring sleeping bags, relying on the Prefects to space them out in sections delineated by house. Judiciously Harry and Blaise pulled together two sleeping bags along the wall at the corner of the Slytherin area so that they weren't surrounded by so many bodies and would have the solid wall at their back so they couldn't be snuck up on easily. Granted, having the wall at their back could also prevent easy escape, but there was open space to their heads that had been left as a wide walking path that would serve need should it arise.

"Do you think they've found Black yet?" Blaise whispered softly as they waited for everyone to get settled so the two Professors still in the hall with them could dim the lights enough for sleeping.

Harry shook his head as he wiggled his sleeping bag closer over to Blaise's so they could keep their conversation low and he could throw his cloak across both of their sleeping bags for a little extra added warmth in the drafty hall.

"I don't know. It's doubtful since none of the Professors have returned."

Blaise's hand found Harry's under the cloak and laced them together, "what do you think our fathers are doing right now?"

Harry squeezed her hand slightly, his voice low as he answered. This was a game they had played often over the years when they were separated from their fathers and found themselves awake late at night, "they should be in bed, sound asleep, but we both know our fathers better than that. Things will have settled down for the night, but they'll still be awake and in dad's office despite having sent everyone not on duty to bed. There will be a fire in the grate and a lamp burning low on the desk, their heads bent over some business paper or a map for the next strike."

"Don't forget the brandy," Blaise whispered, her eyes closed and her breathing starting to even out as she started to doze off lightly.

"How could I forget that," Harry gave a soft chuckled, "the open bottle and two half-full glasses. They always drink half when they start and toss back the second half when they call it a night."

Blaise yawned, causing Harry to stifle one of his own, "good night, Harry."

"Good night, Blaise."

Harry continued to watch Blaise through the muted light for a few more minutes, soft whispers from the other students drifting inaudibly through the room, before he too lay his head down and closed his eyes to get some more sleep. He didn't think to untangle their hands.

* * *

Posted On: June 23, 2007


	18. Connections

Medical personnel will be standing by for those who faint in shock in response to this story actually being updated.

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 18:_ Connections

Sirius cursed himself for being such a fool in not thinking the Fat Lady would sound the alarm, he had been hoping that she still had a soft spot for him after all these years and hadn't considered that she would believe he was a murderer. She of all people—portraits—should have known he would never have betrayed Lily and James. Never. Of course it hadn't helped his case that he had lost his temper and slashed her canvas to ribbons with his knife while she was still within the portrait frame. He had always had a problem with his temper and his prolonged stay in Azkaban had shortened his temper even further. He hadn't even had the comfort of being allowed to go insane like the other prisoners rotting in that hell hole. At least he had been smart enough not to be in the guise of Padfoot when he had approached her, that secret was still safe. He still had an ace up his tattered sleeves, and they were looking pretty tattered at that.

Sirius slammed his fist against the dusty cave wall in a surge of sudden anger. But he had been so close, so close that he could smell Peter's rat-scent even through the portrait hole. It was just his luck to have picked a night when Peter was content to stay in his owner's dorm. Peter had been one busy little rat it seemed, his scent leaving a trail between Gryffindor Tower and the dungeons. Sirius knew what Peter was after; Peter was trying to get to Harry in the Slytherin dorms where he could make it look like some Death Eater's child had attacked Harry in revenge for the Dark Lord's demise all those years ago. Sirius also guiltily acknowledged why Peter was attempting this after having lived in the same castle as Harry for three years. It was because he had escaped, because he could expose Peter's lie. At least Peter hadn't found the way into the Slytherin common room yet. Peter had never been very bright, and if he and James had never managed to locate the Slytherin's nest then Peter had even less of a chance. That didn't mean he was just going to let Peter go, oh no, but he did need a different approach.

Going back into the school itself would be foolish for him, especially since he could feel the dementors tightening their patrol on Hogwarts, he needed some inside help and he knew exactly where to find it. The pets of the students were always running about on the grounds of the school, he just had to find an intelligent enough one that belonged to a Gryffindor. No one would suspect a child's pet, he had discovered that while romping around as Padfoot after he had learned to be an animagus. As a dog he had been able to eavesdrop on conversations he never would have heard otherwise and slip into places he would have been caught going into as his human self. It was his secret defense. The only two people alive who knew were Remus and Peter, and Peter was a threat now.

"I'm coming for you Peter," he whispered to himself, "no, not Peter, Peter is dead. Wormtail. I'm coming for you Wormtail. Traitor."

If anyone had been out loitering near the caves that night a shiver would have crawled down their spine at the maniacal laughter that issued forth from the echoing depths.

"TRAITOR!"

… … … … …

Sirius Black was the key topic of conversation over the next few days amongst the few students who had remained at Hogwarts for the holidays, those of them left mainly moving around in house groups whenever possible incase Black tried to get in again. The dementors had also moved closer to the school, close enough that Harry and Blaise found themselves going through the day with horrible memories lurking just outside conscious thought. It was a discomforting feeling, and it made them feel weak to know that those memories were still there to haunt them so easily. They finally went to Severus to see if he knew anything they could do, but he had no suggestions beyond employing the occlumency techniques he had been teaching them.

Severus did know of a spell, the patronus charm, that was effective against dementors, but he himself could not perform it and the two found very little on it in books. Apparently the spell was very advanced and thus beyond the magical talent of most wizards that it was rarely included in any books, certainly it was not to be found in the wide variety of dark arts books Severus owned given that the spell in itself was the very essence of light. That left only one option open to Harry and Blaise that didn't involve leaving them feeling any form of helplessness—Professor Lupin. He was their Defense teacher after all, and they had seen with their own eyes that he could perform the spell. That's why they were standing outside his door so close to curfew.

Harry poised with his hand to knock on Professor Lupin's office door, then hesitated, before firmly knocking. Neither Harry nor Blaise minded that Lupin was a werewolf, Severus had informed them of this fact, but it still wasn't in their nature to trust easily.

He and Blaise had hesitated greatly on asking for help from someone outside their circle of confidence without getting solid intelligence on them or speaking with their fathers first, but so far everything they had seen of Professor Lupin pointed towards him being an honest individual and he did intrigue them. It wasn't like they had to spill their life's secrets to the Professor either, they just had to get him to teach them the patronus charm or at least point them towards a book worth studying.

The door opened and Professor Lupin stood their, surprise briefly flitting across his face at seeing two of his Slytherin students standing there, "come in. What can I help you with this evening Mr. Potter, Ms. Zabini?"

"We were interested in finding out if you held tutoring sessions?" Harry wasn't quite ready to come to the point, wanted to feel the Professor out first.

"Generally I don't unless a student is falling greatly behind in the lessons," Professor Lupin answered slowly, studying them now, "but neither of you seem to be struggling or falling behind in class so you must have something specific in mind. It is also the Christmas holidays. What were you looking to learn and why?"

There was some Slytherin in the Professor despite the fact that Severus had told them Lupin had been a Gryffindor. They hadn't expected Lupin to want reasoning for giving them tutoring sessions; most of the Professors were easily willing to give extra lessons if time allowed, or would find an older student willing to tutor. Harry also knew that Professor Lupin wouldn't take anything less than an honest answer and the man seemed to have a sense for untruths.

"We want to learn the Patronus Charm." Harry stated boldly, watching closely as surprise and something else flittered across the Professor's expression, "we dislike being weak to the influences of the Dementors."

"The Patronus Charm is very difficult," Professor Lupin seemed to hedge, "you might not be able to master it. Many grown wizards have not succeeded in properly casting the charm."

"We might not be able to master it," Blaise spoke up, wanting to make it clear that she wanted to learn this as well and wasn't just following Harry's lead, "but that shouldn't be for lack of trying."

They could tell he was wavering between saying yes and denying them and the two stood resolutely in front of their Professor. For a long moment Professor Lupin just stared back at them, his eyes focused mainly on Harry as Harry watched him calmly back. It seemed as if they were down to a stalemate. Harry and Blaise had already made their point and pressing their issue further could make Lupin refuse them. Remus on the other hand wasn't very sure if privately teaching two third years such powerful magic was a good idea, especially with the secret he kept. Yet the longer he stared at Harry, the clearer the answer became.

Remus shook his head slightly as if to clear it. "So much like James, but with Lily's eyes. I'll teach you, but don't get your hopes up. This is very advanced magic and even should you learn to cast it in the safety of the classroom there is no guarantee that you'll be able to do it in the presence of a Dementor. Dementors are foul creatures and are not easily contained or defeated."

Harry nodded to show that they understood, "thank you Professor." He paused, silent for a second before allowing curiosity to provoke his next words, "you knew my parents—my birth parents I mean?"

Harry wasn't sure this time, but he thought Professor Lupin hesitated, "we were in the same year together. Your parents were very popular and well known."

It didn't completely answer Harry's question, it was more of an evasive answer than anything, but Harry didn't want to push the solitary Professor and risk having him cancel their tutoring session for the Patronus charm and so he nodded again.

"When can we begin the lessons?"

Professor Lupin considered the question, turning his head so that he was looking out of the high windows of his office to gaze at the sky where the moon was already starting to rise.

"It's too late to start anything tonight. Can you meet me here tomorrow night about this time if it isn't too hard for you to get out? I can't promise you'll get much of a lesson until after the break is done with, but by tomorrow I should have founds some books for you to look over."

"We'll be here," Harry gave Lupin a small, pleased smile, "thank you."

Together Harry and Blaise turned to head back to their dorm room, pausing when Remus called out after them.

"It's close to curfew, perhaps I'd better walk you back to your dorm?"

Blaise turned, "we'll be fine, Professor. We have plenty of time to make it back."

They vanished around the corner of the hall before Remus had a chance to say anything further or to try and catch up to them, but he whispered it anyhow.

"Be careful, Harry. He managed to get in once, he can do it again. Even Hogwart's halls aren't safe anymore. Ah, Sirius, what were you thinking? Why did you betray them? _How_ could you betray them?"

… … … … …

Christmas was in a few days and a fierce storm was currently battering against Hogwart's walls, causing Harry and Blaise to retreat to the comfort of their common room; despite the general draftiness of most areas of the dungeon (it was all for the atmosphere) the Slytherin's domain was kept cheerful and warm even during the coldest of days. Severus was unfortunately busy brewing some of the more volatile potions for the hospital wing that he couldn't brew when school was in session, so Harry and Blaise were taking the chance to look through the books on the Patronus charm professor Lupin had given them; they wanted to be prepared for when he had a chance to start giving them practical lessons.

"Hey Harry, look at this."

Harry leaned a bit to his left so he could glance over the page Blaise was reading. "What did you find?"

"Apparently the Patronus will take a guardian form, fueled by our happy memories."

"Right," Harry agreed, "that's been agreed upon in the few bits we've looked over in the different books."

Blaise grinned, "this book goes one step further. Apparently a Patronus is easier to cast if you have some idea of what your guardian will be like so you can tailor the memories you focus on to resonate with the guardian. It references a book here, '_Spirits, Guardians, and Protective Charms_'. It should help us get an idea of the meanings of our Patronus forms once we start casting and would probably even help with the initial castings as well."

"I'll go grab the library scroll and see if the books there, if not we can sends an owl order out to Florish and Blotts for it. Be right back."

Marking his page, Harry set his book aside and slipped back to his empty dorm room. Quickly he unlocked his trunk, even though he was the only one in his dorm room over the holidays didn't mean he could be lax about his security, and opened the smaller compartment where he kept various odds and ends.

"Marauder's Map…pocket knife…ah, here it is!"

Harry lifted the Library scroll out of his trunk and went to replace the things he had pulled out when something caught his eye. It was the journal he had found in the library back in first year. Harry glanced down at the Marauder's Map in his hand, then back at the journal. It couldn't be that simple. Forgetting about the library scroll, Harry grabbed up the journal and hurried back to Blaise.

"Look at this Blaise," Harry activated the Marauder's Map, then flipped the journal open and grabbed one of the quills they had been using to take notes so that a drop of ink splashed on the blank page.

Blaise stared, "they're by the same people. Do you think the same password will work?"

"Only one way to find out." Harry took a deep breath and tapped the journal with his wand, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

* * *

Posted On: September 26, 2007


	19. A Memorable Christmas

The miracle has occurred.

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters _(the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 19:_ A Memorable Christmas

Christmas morning found Harry curled up in a chair in the Slytherin common room, stroking his kitten Tempest, while waiting for Blaise to come down so they could open their presents together. Marcus Flint arrived first.

"Harry." Flint made a beeline for him. "Just the person I need to talk to. What would it take for you and Blaise to rejoin the team? Gryffindor nearly flattened us during that last match until the dementors showed up."

Harry sighed; they had been over this before. "We told you that we weren't going to fly with the dementors about and we were smart not to given that the dementors invaded the first match. At least five of the players fell off their brooms from the concentrated effects of that many dementors flying about. Blaise and I will re-try when the dementors are gone."

Flint sneered. "You're just being a bloody pansy. I'm surprised you leave your dorm now that your guards aren't here to back you up anymore."

Harry rose fluidly to his feet, Tempest scampering into the seat of the chair, his eyes darkening as he pulled his emotions under tight control in case Flint decided to back his words up with action and start a fight. If Flint had known what to look for, had known the training Harry possessed, he would have been frightened. Instead Flint kept insulting Harry, and worse, Blaise. Not bothering to draw his wand as it would give the other boy a reason to make a complaint against him Harry utilized his physical training, snapping his foot up in a quick kick that forced Flint's head back and rendered the other boy instantly unconscious. There would be no magic traces to tie him to Flint's state and the other boy couldn't very well complain that a mere third year had physically gotten the better of him without losing face with the other Slytherins. Of course, that didn't mean that Harry could just leave Flint there so he dragged the other boy behind one of the overstuffed sofas and left him in an awkward heap so that the sight of him didn't ruin Blaise's Christmas morning. As an afterthought, Harry threw a blanket over the boy to further hide him just as Blaise moved into the room.

"Merry Christmas Harry." Blaise chirped excitedly after taking note of the common room being empty except for the two of them. "Sorry I slept so late, I was a lot more tired than I thought."

The two of them had stayed up late the night before practicing some of the magical exercises listed in the Marauder's journal that were supposed to be helpful preparations for finding and achieving an Animagus form. So far Harry and Blaise had merely found them to be frustrating to complete and very draining on their magic, Blaise more so than Harry since Harry had higher magical reserves that she did.

"That's alright Blaise. I haven't been down long either." Harry admitted. "Besides, both our dads are always telling us to go back to sleep on Christmas morning, we just followed their instructions for once."

Blaise grinned back at Harry before plopping into the chair next to the one Tempest was saving for Harry and held out a wrapped box that she had been carrying. "Here, this one's from me. I kept it in the dorm in case you decided to get curious."

Harry stuck his tongue out. "I only peeked that one year and that's because you kept taunting me. Besides, dad said it was good practice. You would never have caught me if Nara hadn't ratted me out."

Blaise grinned cheekily. "We women stick together. Now where's my present? You didn't forget did you?"

Blaise looked all around Harry and he could see a bit of disappointment start to enter her eyes when she didn't see the customary large box he normally had for her.

Harry pulled a small box out of the pocket of his robes and handed it to Blaise with a warm smile. "When have you ever known me to forget?"

Blaise blushed sheepishly. "It's just you normally have a really big box and—oh, nevermind. Just open your present."

Harry slipped a finger under the wrapping, but made no further move to open his present as he nervously watched Blaise rip into the wrapping on the small box. He had gone a different track this year, avoiding the normal fun gifts for something a little more meaningful. Blaise's happy little gasp was all the confirmation needed that he had done right.

"Harry…" Blaise shook her heads, at a loss to say how pleased she was before finally settling on the simplest thing she could. "It's beautiful."

Moving suddenly Harry was up out of his chair and taking the necklace from Blaise's hand where she had held it up to dangle and catch the firelight. It was a crescent moon made of silver with a winged fairy curled up in the curve of the moon; inscribed on the moon was the simple motto of the Darkov Clan '_Nox_ _Noctis Est Nostri_' meaning 'The Darkness of Night is Ours'. Clumsily Harry managed to undo the clasp and placed it around Blaise's neck, slipping the chain under her hair while being careful not to catch any of the silky strands.

"Thank you." Harry had a suspicion there might have been a tear in Blaise's eye as she hugged him, but there was no sign of it when she released him and pushed him back towards his chair. "Now open your present. I'm getting hungry."

Harry was equally glad to let the tender moment pass and dutifully picked up his present; it had taken a lot of willpower to keep himself from blushing or stammering as he had handed Blaise her Christmas gift. The wrapping paper fell to the floor and Harry opened the box to find a CD player. It was a simpler model than the one he had at home and Harry couldn't help but be a bit puzzled about why Blaise would get him something he already had, especially since electronics didn't work at Hogwarts—but Blaise was already explaining in a near babble.

"I know it's not as high-tech as what you're used to, but it was the only one we could get to work." Blaise was indeed nervous, afraid Harry would be disappointed in the seemingly useless present. "It took dad a while, but with some help he managed to do it. I tried it out just to make sure and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, but I'm not sure about prolonged use—"

Harry cut in, interrupting Blaise's nervous babble. He hadn't seen her like this around him since about a year after they had first met and Harry correctly realized that he must have really thrown her with the necklace. "You mean it'll work around magic?"

Blaise nodded sheepishly as she realized she had been rambling, quickly regaining her composure. "Yeah."

Harry smiled again and hugged Blaise in return for the hug he had gotten for the necklace. "Thank you. I'd really missed listening to real music. I just can't understand how anyone can like what passes for wizarding music. Now come on, we still have more presents to open before breakfast and you said you were hungry."

… … … … …

"Are you sure you want to start our lessons now?" Harry couldn't help but ask as he saw the weariness in Professor Lupin's body; it had not been long since the full moon.

Professor Lupin waved off his concern. "I'll be fine in a few days, it's just a bit of a cold, but I reconsidered and thought it would be best if we started your lessons while most of the students are gone for the holidays." Remus hesitated. "I also found something that might help if we can influence it properly and you're willing to try."

Harry had expected the lie and merely nodded before asking, "What did you find?"

"A Boggart." Professor Lupin said after a moment's hesitation before rushing on. "If you can work past those first images of fear it shows you and force it into the form of a Dementor, it will give you a solid form to fight against without actually practicing on a real Dementor. It's the only way to be sure you can form a Patronus when you really need it."

Harry and Blaise both knew why the Professor was suddenly worried about them learning the Patronus Charm—just the other night the Dementors had tried to make their way into the school. Severus had told them the next day, forbidding them to go out to the grounds in the morning to workout. It was as if a storm were about to break over Hogwarts and Harry felt that he and Blaise were dangerously close to the center of it.

Harry glanced at Blaise, a wealth of meaning passing between them in that single glance and a nearly unnoticeable gesture of the hands. Harry remembered what had happened when he had come up against the Boggart during their defense class, the images of all his loved ones having been tortured or left lying in their own pools of blood before the Boggart had decided to become a Dementor in the face of his defiance. Harry was sure it would be possible to do again, but he didn't want to have to go through all the other images to get to the Dementor. Seeing too much of things like that could unhinge a person and he never wanted to feel Blaise trembling against him like that ever again, never wanted to again feel the breath steal from his body as he saw a perfect likeness of his father lying dead on the ground.

Harry took a steadying breath. "We won't try the Boggart tonight; it would be stupid to do so when we have only managed slight bits of mist on our own attempts from what the books say. There has to be something we're missing, something the book isn't telling us."

Professor Lupin started. He hadn't expected them to do much more than glance at the books he had given them on the Patronus Charm, much less have any success at all. "You've already managed a mist? And I didn't mean to use the Boggart tonight, I have a trunk I can store it in until we're ready. Can you show me?"

Harry and Blaise shrugged before pulling their wands. "_Expecto_ _Patronum_."

Two small bands of misty light erupted from their wands, expanding into small hovering clouds a bit away from their wand tips. After a moment the manifestations of the charms flickered and faded, Harry and Blaise lowering their wands to their sides.

"I think you're going to have more of a chance at this then I had originally thought." Remus admitted this to Harry and Blaise ruefully, his eyes studying them with a bit more care than he had shown before. "Given that most adults have trouble with this spell…but never mind that. What sort of memories are you using, if you feel you can tell me that is."

Harry and Blaise had known they'd be giving away a bit of their charade of being average students by even attempting to learn this charm, no matter what degree of success they actually had, so Harry wasn't about to balk now when Professor Lupin was asking about the memory he was using—it would have destroyed the point of it all.

"It's no secret." Harry said. "Every summer our fathers take a day and set aside for just Blaise and myself, nothing else to interfere, and we go to an amusement park and spend the day having fun."

"You both are using the same memory?"

Harry and Blaise nodded, wondering what thoughts were chasing around in their Professor's head as he studied them.

"Why?" He asked them.

Blaise shrugged. "It seemed easier to use a common memory since we were working together."

"I don't think that memory will be strong enough, dear as it seems to be to the both of you." Remus stared out the window for a second, a frown briefly marring his face as they heard what sounded like a dog barking somewhere out on Hogwart's grounds. "You need a strong memory, one filled with good emotions. Focus more on those emotions then the memory itself."

Harry nodded. "We'll need a few minutes to think then."

Professor Lupin shook his head. "Take a few days and think on that, the memories shouldn't be the same for both of you, and we'll try again later in the week. Given the difficulty and the power required for this spell I don't want you practicing on your own again, you could harm yourself by overreaching your limits."

It hadn't been what Harry and Blaise wanted to hear, but they also recognized that Professor Lupin could cancel their lessons and leave them without a guide in learning the charm if they didn't follow his instructions. Not that either of them would admit it, but they had felt tired after practicing conjuring the mist on their own and hadn't been able to work with the charm for longer than an hour before it had become too much.

"Alright." Harry verbally agreed, knowing the Professor would expect it. "Good night then. Just let us know when you're ready for us to come by again."

Professor Lupin nodded to them distractedly, his mind no longer on them now that the impromptu lesson was obviously over. "Good night. Make sure you head for your dorm since it will be curfew soon."

Harry and Blaise gave each other looks as they left the classroom. Something had obviously bothered the man enough that he wanted to get rid of them, but they hadn't seen or heard anything and it wasn't a full moon out. What then had caught the Professors attention to cause him to dismiss them that they hadn't picked up on?

* * *

Posted On: February 5, 2008


	20. Puzzling Pieces

I am currently doing the happy dance in my computer chair now that I've finished this chapter. Cheers!

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 20:_ Puzzling Pieces

Despite the fiasco at the last Quidditch match, the rest of the games hadn't been canceled and Slytherin narrowly managed to lose to Ravenclaw a week after the start of the new term. Flint, though he still shot Harry angry looks, had given up on harassing both him and Blaise about playing for the team and had instead began forcing more practice time on the Slytherin players. Slytherin, along with Gryffindor, could now be found out on the Quidditch field practicing in all weather and breaking out into fights over which team had use of the pitch at any given time. Besides that, Harry was sure Flint was only biding his time before attempting to seek revenge for the swift beating that had occurred Christmas day and was glad that for the moment Flint was more concerned with Quidditch practice then paybacks; Harry was currently focusing most of his extra attention on his Patronus lessons with Professor Lupin and Blaise and didn't feel like taking the time to knock Flint down again.

Then there was the Marauder's Guide. A thorough reading through it had proved that the book was all it promised and more. The book held within its pages detailed plans for pranks, a step-by-step guild to becoming an Animagus, self-created spells, and detailed personnel files on the various teachers that had passed through Hogwarts during the Marauder's reign. It had also held the secret to who the Marauder's had been along with scribbled thoughts, conversations, and dreams. It was some of Harry's first glimpses at the man his biological father had been in the man's own hand and while some of it touched him, he felt very far removed from the carefree teen James Potter had been. Not that he would ever wish to be that carefree—or that naïve.

Add in classes, homework, and the continued extra lessons with Professor Snape as the dementors continued to seethe around outside the school, and Harry wasn't surprised at all to find that January had slipped quickly by and it was Valentines Day. It also meant another Hogsmeade visit, one he and Blaise had been cleared for by their fathers after Professor Snape had agreed to be coerced into chaperoning. They had actually made it around to all the shops, taking extra time in both Zonko's and Honeyduke's, before hitting the Three Broomsticks and grabbing the last open table as Professor Snape slipped onto a barstool with a scowl at the rambunctious students yelling around the overfull barroom. It wasn't Harry's ideal location for a private lunch with Blaise, they got so little time just to be off on their own these days, but it was a much more preferable prospect to the both of them then going to Madam Puddifoot's—Severus was probably very grateful as well.

"Well if it isn't our little warriors." Harry groaned as the twins somehow managed to produce chairs to join him and Blaise at their supposed to be private table. "Dare we guess that you are actually allowed here this time give that you sit not far from one of our esteemed Professors?"

Blaise sighed silently, mirroring Harry's look. "We'd be fools to sit here so openly if we weren't cleared to come."

The twins shrugged and a bit of their teasing manner dropped, a hesitant seriousness taking its place. "No attacks this time?"

Blaise darted a look at Harry, but Harry never took his eyes from Fred as he asked the question.

"You'd be better off to forget that." Harry answered in a low voice meant only for the four of them to hear.

George held up both his hands in an empty-palm peace gesture. "We're not trying to pry. We're not asking for answers you don't want to give. We've both agreed that if you want to tell us you will when it's time."

Fred nodded as his twin spoke. "We're just concerned. Friends, remember?"

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath to relax before he resumed his steady gaze and nodded. "I know. Friends. And thank you for not prying."

Harry and Blaise shared a glance and they came to a decision. "You should have never been there, you know, you should have left."

The twins interrupted, looking stubborn. "We couldn't have left you, not when you were in trouble. Wh—"

Harry held up a hand to stall their protests. "We know, you were acting like Gryffindors, and that's in the past now anyways. What we're proposing is for now, for the future. We're going to teach you how to fight beyond brawling with your fists, but it won't be until summer when we can do it at our house in the proper setting with real instructors. Blaise and I aren't teachers, there's too much of a chance you'll end up getting hurt instead of learning anything useful."

Blaise kept the twins from getting too giddy as they exchanged wide grins. "There is, of course, the catch. Until you're deemed ready by your instructor you will not be allowed to use what you learn outside of lessons. You can't tell anyone about the lessons unless they already know. You will also have to learn to leave when you are told to. Don't ask, don't tell. Those are the rules."

"Think before you give an answer." Harry added. "That's all the information we can give you and it's not a lot to base a decision on, must less to make it quickly. Now, since you two decided to sit at our table and invade our privacy you can fight your way to the bar for the food and Butterbeer because there's no way Madam Rosmerta's getting around to taking table orders anytime soon."

Harry and Blaise watched as the twins snatched up the offered galleons and easily wormed their way up to the counter and began to turn the twin charm onto Madam Rosmerta.

"You know they're going to say yes. Even after being given time to think they won't back out."

"I know." Harry briefly squeezed Blaise's hand. "But at least this way they're not so helpless being our friends. If anything they learn keeps them from getting seriously injured when they're out with us sometime…"

Blaise nodded. "It'll be worth it. Even if they end up paying a price they didn't know they could still pay."

The unspoken price hung between Harry and Blaise even as the twins made it back with the food and drinks, their merriment diminishing most of the solemn mood that had fallen over their tiny table. Innocence.

… … … … …

The relative peace and quiet of the school was broken a few weeks later by another break in by Sirius Black, the Azkaban escapee once again going for Gryffindor Tower instead of Slytherin. This time Harry didn't let his questions go unvoiced as he and Blaise sat with Severus in the Professor's quarters one evening.

"Why Gryffindor Tower?" Harry mused, idly stroking the scales of his snake; he had been forced to leave Malandra with Severus since snakes weren't an approved form of pet at Hogwarts. "My first thought is that he's unhinged from Azkaban and not thinking straight, but I doubt it. Not after he's managed to make it into the school twice, past all the security wards and dementors, and past all the teachers to Gryffindor Tower. What's there that he wants? It can't be me. If he's thinking clearly enough to do all that, he has to know I'm a Slytherin."

"He was smart enough to get all the passwords this time too." Blaise pointed out, reviewing the facts they had gleaned from both Severus and the rumor mill. "He didn't lose it like the first time and slash up the guardian portrait. He did however slash Weasley's bed hangings to shreds while leaving the other beds intact despite having also looked in them since the other boys woke to find their curtains drawn after having been left open."

Severus sat back and sipped his tea, letting the words of the two children flow over him as they dissected the situation as they had been taught. It was a wonder seeing their minds work such little information and turn it into a whole scenario, he wished he had more students like them at times.

"It also means that Black either has been in the castle more than those two times or he has someone in the castle working for him." Harry said. "The passwords were read off to the portrait from a sheet of paper and we know Neville lost that at least a week ago."

Severus leaned forward. This is why they were doing this exercise. He had given them the information he knew and now they were giving it back to him woven together with what they knew to hunt for new pieces of the puzzle to fit together.

"That is a piece of information I hadn't heard yet." Severus admitted. "At least not the part about the paper being lost so long ago. Longbottom never ceases to amaze me with his increasing foolishness. I believe we can rule out an insider though. None of the students would know Black well enough to work with him and the only Professor that is suspect would be Lupin and I've had my eye on him since the beginning of the year."

"So despite what we know, we still don't know how Black's getting in or what his motive to do so is. It's safe to assume it has something to do with Weasley though, and only Ron since none of the other Weasley's dorm rooms have been disturbed." Blaise summed the conclusions of their whole session up as succinctly as possible.

Harry nodded. "It looks like we're going to be paying closer attention to Weasley from now on. For once I'm not going to complain about having some many classes with the Gryffindors since it'll make things easier. Perhaps I'll talk to Granger a bit more too, she's proved herself to be useful and a decent enough person. I will admit I haven't been speaking with her as much as I intended to this year with everything that's been going on."

"It won't work to get us close to Weasley." Blaise shook her head. "There's this whole big fiasco about Granger's cat eating Weasley's rat and they're at each others throats."

"I wasn't thinking about using Granger directly against Weasley, but more as a way to spend more time with the Gryffindors. We'll do the same with the twins. Approach them more often when they're around each other, perhaps even going so far as to hanging around their common room. A little breaking and entering might not be amiss either."

Severus cleared his throat and turned his head away so as to make it seem that he didn't notice them sitting on his sofa. "I did not hear a single word of that last part and I dare say I won't catch you at it either."

"Whatever could you be talking about Professor?" Harry asked sweetly, innocence radiating from him due to a lot of acting practice. "We were only planning to hang out with some of our friends, nothing that would be breaking any rules."

"Just don't get so caught up in your little espionage that you sacrifice other more important things." Severus warned. "Especially since it seems that Black is not something you need to be concerned about. Exams are fast approaching. I won't accept anything less than top marks from the both of you or I will see that you face a tedious summer of makeup work."

"Don't worry." Blaise assured him. "We've been reviewing our notes the past few weeks and most of what will be on the tests we had already learned before this year. It'll be easy."

Severus sighed and picked up a Potions Newsletter laying on the floor by his chair, signaling an end to their meeting. He was going to have gray hair by the time Harry and Blaise graduated, but he wouldn't give up the thrill of putting his talents to good use for the Darkov Clan for anything. Idly Severus scratched at his left arm through his clothes. Not even for the occasional tingle he thought he sometimes still felt originating from the area of his Dark Mark.

* * *

Posted On: May 31, 2008


	21. Almost Home

Yeah, most of the exam part is filler, I admit it, but there are also bits that pull together things that need to be known that Harry and Blaise wouldn't know any other way since they are who they are. As for the last part…I'm not commenting. Feel free to let me know what you're thinking though.

_ShadeDancer_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 21:_ Almost Home

Of course, things could never work out as well as one might hope. Harry and Blaise still had little more to go on as to why Sirius Black was so interested in Ronald Bilius Weasley by the time final exams rolled around. It was a situation that had them completely stumped and that frustrated them to no end, but as promised they relaxed their investigation in order to focus on the exams as an unnaturally studious hush fell over nearly the entire castle.

Transfiguration was the first test the third years faced together, Professor McGonagall pacing around their desks and keeping a sharp eye out for anyone foolish enough to attempt to cheat. At least one student was faced with her eagle eye when nerves made them reflexively look over at someone else's parchment. All the while an hour glass on the desk at the very front of the room trickled down the time until the allotted hour and a half was up. That didn't mean their ordeal was over yet though, there was still the practical to be taken and many students left the room agonizing over their attempts.

"Mine still had a spout for a tail, what a nightmare…"

"Were the tortoises _supposed_ to breathe steam?"

"It was floral patterned and the shell was still porcelain. I bet I failed for sure…"

The most amusing perhaps, but also sad in it's own right, was Neville Longbottoms's attempt. He had turned his teapot into a tortoise alright but instead of breathing steam like one Hufflepuff's he had steamed the turtle instead, cooking the poor thing right inside it's own shell. McGonagall's face had gone tight, but she had somehow managed not to yell at Longbottom and instead marked down a grade for him and dismissed him for the next student. Harry and Blaise had both gone to the front when their respective names were called, transfigured their turtles without fanfare or attempting to add embelishments, then returned to their seats. They needed decent scores, not to show off like some of the other students were attempting to in the hopes of gaining extra points.

After Transfiguration the third years headed for lunch, an event that involved a lot of students craming for their next test while shovling food into their mouths as fast as they could. For Harry and Blaise that meant Charms for which their practical was the Cheering Charm, Flitwick having to lead a handful of students to quiet spots to rest when their partners overdid the charm, and then it was dinner time with many of the students heading back to their common rooms in order to study for the round of tests that would be occuring the next day. Harry and Blaise decided on doing a minimal review for their next tests before setting up a chess set (a muggle one since the wizarding ones were likely to add to stress instead of relieving it) and attempted to relax.

Hagrid presided over the Care of Magical Creatures exam the next morning though he seemed to lack the heart for it, the test being ridiculously easy and one that most of the class considered a useless waste of time. After all, there wasn't much you needed to do in order to keep a Flobberworm alive and it was considerably tame after their normal lessons with Hagrid—such as the one where they had been introduced to the Hippogriffs. Harry and Blaise decided that Hagrid's personal problems, whatever they may be that would so effect the man's ability to give a decent exam worthy of such an important class, were none of their business and let the matter pass.

Harry did take note on the fact that Hermione spent much of the period talking lowly and urgently with Hagrid though, ignoring her Flobberworm in favor of trying to cheer him up or solve whatever the problem was; the two seemed to be on more familiar terms than just professor and student though Harry wasn't stupid enough to think that anything inappropriate was going on. In fact, he vaguely remembered hearing something about Hermione going regularly to tea at the Gamekeepers hut since Hagrid had befriended her in her first year when she hadn't had many friends because she was a Know-it-all-bookworm. Even Hermione's involvement in the matter still wasn't enough to get him interested in Hagrid's problems despite the fact that Harry was still planning on using his acquaintance with Hermione to his advantage in learning more inside information about the Gryffindors; it was better to have more than one source after all and the Twins could only provide him with one point of view.

That afternoon was the Potions exam, one Harry and Blaise had no worries over despite Professor Snape's penchant for giving extremely difficult tests on things they may or may not have covered in class. According to Severus they had been given their books for a reason, not so he could hold their hands through every chapter. It was just a shame that they weren't allowed to keep their potions if they turned out right, you never knew when a vial of a Confusing Concoction would come in handy.

After that the exams just seemed to zoom by. They had Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower where they could clearly see the sky for what seemed like miles, leaving them all gritty eyed for their History of Magic test on Wednesday morning. Of course the History of Magic exam was another joke, the material mostly covering just the Goblin Rebellions, and it was somewhat surprising that the ghost of Professor Binns actually knew to give out the tests considering that half the time he didn't even know what day it was. Rumor had it that Binns could sometimes be found in his room on Saturdays, teaching a non-existent class. That didn't mean their ghostly professor wasn't able to spot cheats though; Pansy quickly discovered that while Binns might boringly drone on and not notice his students falling asleep during a regular lesson he could spot an open book during an exam from halfway across the room no matter how far you had it hidden under the desk.

Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology out in the greenhouse, the normally humid temperatures inside the building soaring even hotter as the sun beat down on them through the roof. It was enough to make even the plants cranky, and there were some of them that had no qualms about making their displeasure known in a myriad of ways. Professor Spout ended up spending a good deal of time disciplining the Venemous Tentacula for making a nuissance of itself and disrupting the tests. Seeing how unruly the magical plants could be made Harry revise his thoughts on talking to Trevor about using them as a defensive line around the house; the plants were just as likely to attack their own men as opposed to the enemy. As it was they all left the greenhouses hot and sweaty, their clothes sticking to their skin beneath their robes, glad that tomorrow would see to the end of all the testing.

Defense was their first exam on Thursday morning and the one that Harry and Blaise had been looking forward to the most. Professor Lupin was an interesting teacher and they had only grown more fond of the easily-likable werewolf as they had extra lessons with him. He didn't disappoint them on the exam, having set up an obstacle course full of the different creatures they had studied in class with a boggart in a trunk at the end. Glad that none of the other students could see into the trunk as they each battled the boggart, Harry and Blaise wasted no time in forcing the boggart to become a dementor so they could force it away with their patronus charms. After much struggle and many exhausting attempts, Harry and Blaise had both managed corpreal patronus forms to Lupin's great delight. Harry's was a bobcat, a stealthy hunter, while Blaise's formed as a hawk, another great hunter. Professor Lupin congratulated them both on a job well done as they emerged from the course in record time.

Still feeling relaxed after being able to slightly exert themselves for the obstacle course Harry and Blaise made their way back up to the castle to grab some lunch before facing their last test, Arithmancy for Harry and Ancient Runes for Blaise. In the beginning of the year it had been a huge debate between the two of them on which would be the better class so Trevor had decided it for them. One of them would take Arithmancy and the other would take Ancient Runes, catching the other up at the end of the day so they could work on an assignments and homework together. It had actually worked out pretty well despite their initial missgivings on being seperated for the classes.

As they got closer to the steps they saw a man they had only had pointed out to them in pictures, Minister Cornelius Fudge, standing on the stairs and sweating in the heat.

"Hello there Harry!" The man was acting as if they knew each other quite well, beaming at them with a politicians smile. "Lovely day out…shame I'm here on such an upleasant mission. Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff and then what with Sirius Black being such a high profile case…well, never mind that. You've just come from an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

Harry wasn't about to play any part of the publicity game, especially since he now understood why Hagrid had been so upset. Buckbeak was going to be executed over attacking Draco…probably also explained why Malfoy was back to prancing around as if he owned the school and whispering happily to his sycophants. Harry would admit that he had no personal feelings invested in Buckbeak's continued well-being, he had only ridden the hippogriff once, but he was a majestic creature that deserved respect and had only attacked when it hadn't been shown.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, Sir, do I know you that you should feel free to address me so informally?"

The Minister blustered. "Why I—that is to say—I'm Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."

Harry nodded. "It's been interesting meeting you, Sir, but seeing as how you said you're here for such a high profile case I won't be keeping you. Good day."

With quick ease Harry put a hand on Blaise's shoulder to move her in front of him and past the Minister, guiding the two of them into the cool interior of the castle and away from the moronic minister. After meeting the Minister Harry wasn't sure who he detested worse: Cornelius Fudge or Gilderoy Lockhart. Both tried to ooze slimy charisma and both had tried to act overly friendly and familiar with him because of his position as the Boy-who-lived…and everyone had seen where that had gotten Lockhart.

"Come on Blaise." Harry said as he took his hand from her shoulder and moved next to her so they could link arms companionably. "Let's get some lunch before our last exams. I still think we should switch places though, see what the Professors say about it."

Blaise elbowed Harry in the ribs. "No causing trouble now, only one more test and then we're done for the year. Save the trouble for tomorrow."

Harry grinned back at her. "And ruin the lovely prank I have already planned? Never."

Blaise mock-sighed before smiling brightly. "Just think Harry, we'll be able to go home soon. Bet our dads are going nuts without us there to keep them on their toes."

"Not likely." Harry snorted. "Well, mine might be. Trevor's probably enjoying the much needed relaxation without having to worry about us on top of my father."

**… … … … …**

"Trevor?" Vasile hesitated at the edge of the man's office, the room before him was only dimly lit and even once his eyes had adjusted he didn't see Trevor within.

"It's alright." Trevor's voice came from a chair in the corner of the room. "Come on in."

Warily Vasile moved into the room, things around the manor had been tense for the past two days. "I wanted to request permission to return to Hogwarts for Nara and myself. Someone needs to tell the children and they shouldn't be left so unprotected right now. We're also prepared to escort them home immediately."

"No." Trevor's decision was swift and firm. "Right now they're as safe as they can be, the school is protected and Severus will contact us should there be danger. It's not like Sirius Black is a threat now either. It's only a few more days until they're home. Let them have those days before their thrown into this chaos, especially Harry."

"He's going to be upset at not having been informed immediately." Vasile argued.

Trevor sighed. "I know. Things are changing around here quickly, but not so quickly that he can't have a few more days respite. It's not like a few days will make a difference either way. Maybe if we're lucky things will get better in those few days."

Vasile snorted. "You don't really believe that."

"No." Trevor agreed. "I don't. But with the way things are I don't think it can get any worse so it can't hurt to wish for some luck."

Vasile bowed his head in acknowledgement before leaving Trevor's office, shaking his head negatively at Nara's questioning glance as he met up with her further down the hall. They had already known the answer of course, but it hadn't hurt to ask. They had grown extremely close to the children while at Hogwarts and they both felt so helpless doing nothing when they knew what would be awaiting Harry and Blaise when they arrived home.

* * *

Posted On: June 10, 2008


	22. In The End

Minor change made two chapters back while Harry and Blaise were sitting in Severus' quarters to point out the whereabouts of Harry's snake.

Consider yourself honored, this is probably the longest chapter I've ever written and I'm not sure when you'll see another of this length from me again. It is also the conclusion of Blood's Sacrifice. Enjoy the ending.

_ShadeDancer_

Disclaimer: _I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince._

_Warning: _Some chapters_ (the ones including pranks and mimes) _might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

_Chapter 22:_ In the End…

Harry and Blaise quietly slipped from the Slytherin common room and the private, end of the year party their house was indulging in. This was the one night when even the Slytherin inner-house rivalries and faction lines dissolved into non-existence. For this one night they didn't have to worry about spiked drinks within the common room—there was a permanent truce at the meal tables on poisoning each other that ended once they were back in Slytherin territory, though there was an unspoken rule that nothing lethal be used.

Things had just been starting to get rowdy with the appearance of alcohol and Professor Snape had shown up to observe and keep the fun from spilling over to the rest of the school. That wasn't to say that the fun had been spoiled and that they had stopped enjoying the party, Harry and Blaise had found the fire-whiskey to have an energizing kick that went well followed by a sip of the mellower butterbeer, but Severus had asked a favor of them and they couldn't in good conscious turn him down.

With the alcohol present Severus couldn't leave the Slytherin party in case something happened or someone drank too much and decided to act stupid, but Professor Lupin still needed his Wolfsbane. So agreeing to go because they owed their Professor for taking the time to teach them the Patronus spell, Harry and Blaise left the party with strict instructions on how to dose up the potion now that it was finished simmering and headed towards Severus' private potions lab.

"Dunder-headed brats." Harry repressed a smirk as he uttered the password and entered the familiar, immaculate lab.

Following Severus' instructions exactly Harry carefully dipped a ladle full of the potion into the waiting goblet, watching as the thick potion swirled around the bottom. Then, after replacing the ladle and pulling a lid on over the cauldron to protect the doses meant for the next two nights from contamination, Harry gave Blaise the goblet. It was time to add the silver. They had watched Severus make the silver serum one day while spending some time in his lab working; everything had been very precise right down to the quality and grain of the silver dust that Severus had mixed with purified water and willow extract. Two drops—no more, no less—and the potion would start to put off a wispy white-gray smoke. If it looked any different then they had screwed up and needed to get a new goblet or they could possibly kill Professor Lupin. Of course, Severus had also told them that they had better not mess up.

Two drops fell in quick succession and Harry immediately slipped the dropper back into its vial before another drop could fall. Smoke billowed forth and if she hadn't been expecting it Blaise would have dropped the goblet. Gradually the smoke thinned until it was just a wispy fog above the potion.

"Looks right." Harry glanced at Blaise and she nodded in agreement. "Let's get this to the professor so we can get back to the party."

Gratefully passing the goblet off to Harry, the noxious smell was making her slightly sick, Blaise led the way to Professor Lupin's quarters while keeping an eye out for professors, prefects, or other students who might question what they were doing out at this late hour. Near one of the outside doors a quick movement had Blaise and Harry withdrawing back around the corner. It was Professor Lupin, the man moving quickly but furtively across the school grounds.

"I wonder why he didn't wait for the Wolfsbane." Harry mused. "It isn't safe for him to be out without it."

"Maybe he was afraid it wasn't coming and is heading for a safer place to change."

Harry glanced at his watch, mindful of the goblet he still held.

"No, we're still on time, almost early, and he was heading away from the Forest which would have been the safest place for him to go if he was staying out to transform."

Blaise groaned. "You know what this means, don't you?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it means we follow him and try to get him the Wolfsbane in time and be prepared to run like hell if we don't."

Blaise sighed, though it was a half-hearted sound. "We shouldn't be doing this. There's a really good chance we're going to end up regretting this."

Harry shrugged. "Possibly. But you know we're going to do it anyway."

"Alright. Just making sure."

Harry and Blaise grinned at each other before taking off across the lawn in the direction Professor Lupin had taken, the goblet of Wolfsbane still held firmly in Harry's hand. Thankfully the two were very familiar with Hogwarts rugged grounds and had no mishaps as they tracked Professor Lupin despite the dark evening.

"Hold up." Harry stopped suddenly and grabbed onto Blaise with his free hand. "Look."

Professor Lupin had paused to bend over a form on the ground before he straightened up and loped off in the direction of the Whomping Willow. Dodging the swinging branches Professor Lupin picked a long stick up from the ground, prodded at the tree with it, and darted into the roots. Harry looked at Blaise who shrugged back as if to say 'we've come this far'.

Moving with more caution now, Harry and Blaise approached the form on the ground to find a dazed Hermione lying there.

"Granger?" Harry was surprised to find the rule-abiding Gryffindor out here for apparently no reason. "What's going on?"

Hermione made a small noise of distress, tears in her eyes. "I don't know. I tried to save Buckbeak, but I was too late even with my time turner. It's impossible by myself. They, they just beheaded him. Oh God, oh God…"

"Granger!" Harry put a bite in his voice, the same tone his father used when he needed answers from a hesitant person. "Focus. Forget Buckbeak. What about Professor Lupin?"

Hermione blinked. "Oh. I was wandering. Upset. I…" She began to trail off but Harry's sharp gaze helped her focus. "I went to Hagrid's but he was gone. But I found Ron's rat. I found Scabbers!"

"Shock." Blaise mouthed over Hermione's head and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Then what Granger?"

"I started back to the castle but a giant black dog, a—a grim, attacked me. I thought I was dead. He took Scabbers. Then Professor Lupin was here. He asked me what happened; he wanted to know where the dog went. He called the dog Black. Where did he go? What's going on?"

"_Stupefy!_" Blaise pulled her wand and uttered the spell, Hermione slumping to the ground as it took immediate effect.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure it's wise to stun someone in shock."

Blaise shrugged. "I don't know, but it was either that or have her want to follow us. Besides, she was starting to focus well enough to ask questions. And no, I know what you're thinking; I'm not taking her back to the castle."

Harry quirked a smile, Blaise easily reading in his expression his admission that he had been going to try, and they continued after Professor Lupin. The Whomping Willow was just starting to creak around again by the time they reached it. Quickly, before the tree could regain too much of its usual momentum, Blaise snatched up the stick.

"There." Harry's sharp eyes picked out an unusual protrusion at the roots of the tree, the bark worn and scarred from numerous prodding over the years.

Blaise timed the swings of the tree branches, counting with the beats of her hear, before suddenly darting forward much as Professor Lupin had done to spear the knot with the stick and put the fierce willow tree back into dormancy. With the tree still and no longer twisting, Harry and Blaise could make out a low and nearly hidden opening leading into the ground beneath the tree.

"Last chance to turn back." Harry didn't look at Blaise as he spoke and she knew he wouldn't turn back.

"What kind of friend would I be if I left you go on by yourself now?" Blaise retorted.

"A smart one." Harry's answer was blunt. "If it is Sirius Black down that tunnel, and I think we both know it is from what we read in the Marauder's Guide, then I want answers. Professor Lupin is running out of time too."

"Then you had better stop trying to protect me so we can hurry up." Blaise pointed out. "Besides, I don't want to be standing here when the tree decides to start moving again. Gentlemen first."

Harry rolled his eyes but moved forward and slipped his feet down the hole, sliding to the tunnel floor with one hand over the goblets opening to keep contaminates from getting into the potion. Blaise quickly joined him and he passed the Wolfsbane potion back to her so that his hands would be free as they went through the tunnel. It was dark, very little light filtered in through the tree roots, but Harry didn't want to light his wand incase it drew unwanted attention. Instead he moved forward using touch and sound to guide him, straining his senses to be alert for the presence of anyone else in the tunnel. They came across no one in the dark, damp trek—the tunnel was straight and fairly well maintained for being underground—until finally a dim glow pierced the darkness and Harry found himself at a trap door. He could hear muffled voices coming through the trap door, but they sounded at least a room away instead of right outside. Taking a deep breath Harry pushed open the wooden barrier and found himself in a worn and dusty room.

"Take care." He mouthed the words lowly in Blaise's ear as he grabbed one of her arms to help pull her out of the tunnel. "Wand out, but I want you to run if Lupin looks bad."

Blaise nodded, clamping her teeth against the question she so desperate wanted to ask. '_What about you?_' She already knew the answer. He would fight to secure her retreat. They had to get Professor Lupin the Wolfsbane quickly so it didn't come to that. In single file they moved around the room along the wall so that they didn't make targets of themselves by being in the open center. The voices were suddenly louder.

"You have to believe me Moony." It could only have been Black's voice they heard. "I would never betray them. Lily. James. Harry. Never Moony! Never!"

"You were their secret keeper." Remus was shouting. "We all sat together and planned it. I was there when you accepted the responsibility! You killed them Sirius. You handed them straight over to the Dark Lord!"

Black's voice went wretched with pain. "I might as well have. It's my fault we switched. The perfect prank I thought. It's my fault, but I didn't turn them over. Give me the rat and I can prove it."

"You think this rat, this rat that's been passed through the Weasley family for years, is Peter? Peter died. You killed him Sirius."

Harry had heard enough and decided it was time to intervene before one of the two men decided words were no longer sufficient and spells were cast; not that he was sure if Black even had a wand though. Nodding at Blaise to come with him for the moment, Harry stepped into the next room and visually assessed the situation. Both men were tense and completely focused on each other, Scabbers the rat dangling by the tail and twisting futilely in Professor Lupin's grip. You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. He pulled his own wand and leveled it partway between the two men.

"I think that's enough arguing for now." Harry spoke, causing both men to wheel and point wands at him; the one in Black's hand looked a bit like Hermione's. "Professor Lupin you need to take your Wolfsbane and then I say we discuss things calmly. There seems to be a lot more to this whole story than any one person knows and I think it's time to figure it out."

"Harry go back to the school." Professor Lupin was trying to keep an eye on them and Black as well. "This doesn't concern you."

"I think it does, Professor." Harry kept himself calm. "I heard your accusations and I also heard part of Black's story. I'd like to hear the rest and decide the truth for myself."

"He'll try and kill you!" The emotions exploded from their professor, the pull of the moon beginning to show itself. "He broke out of Azkaban to try and finish what his master started the night your parents died."

Harry took the Wolfsbane from Blaise and shoved it into Professor Lupin's free hand despite the fact that it sent his every nerve to screaming being so close to the emotional werewolf whose control seemed tenuous at best. "He hasn't tried to kill me yet despite having the opportunity. Now drink your Wolfsbane or it'll be you that we'll have to worry about killing us."

Remus gaped down at the goblet, his face going ashen. "You know?"

Harry nodded once. "Yeah. And it doesn't bother us one bit. Drink."

Taking a ragged breath Remus down the potion in a single gulp, shuddering in distaste and missing the look of concern that briefly flashed across Black's face. Harry and Blaise noted it though and shared a brief look, so far all their conclusions on Black not being a threat to them were holding true. It was time to listen to the man's story and discover what his agenda really was.

"Better now Professor?" Blaise asked.

Remus drew in a ragged breath, his voice sounding hoarse in reaction to the miniscule amount of silver that the potion had contained. "Yes, thank you. I'm safe to be around now, though I'm still not happy with you being here and taking such a risk."

Harry shrugged. "Severus asked us to deliver your potion to you since he couldn't. We're only carrying out our promise."

"Snivellus!" Black exploded. "You're on first name basis with that Death Eater!"

Harry pinned Black with a hard stare. "At the moment, you're not one to be pointing fingers. Severus has never given us reason to distrust him and has actually gone out of his way to help us. Now, can you calm down enough to tell us your side of the story or do we stun you and take you up to the school for the ministry to deal with you?"

Black took a deep breath, hope starting to shine in his eyes. "You're actually willing to hear me out?"

Harry and Blaise both nodded, Remus reluctantly agreeing after staring at the two of them for a long penetrating moment. In his hand Remus still held the rat, Scabbers, though it seemed to have lost the will to fight for the moment after having been given a firm shake by Remus who was tired of being scratched at.

Black took a deep breath, letting the air rush from his lungs as he ran a dirty hand through his stringy, long hair. "I was supposed to have been your Secret Keeper Harry, yours and your parents, but the night we went to cast the spell I started to feel uneasy—as if I was being followed. I persuaded Lily and James to switch to Peter thinking that it would be the perfect bluff and that Peter could easily slip away into hiding while I drew the Death Eaters off the trail."

For a moment Black had to pause, his emotions getting to be too much as he started pacing a short jerky path back and forth across the room. "I went to check on Peter that night, Halloween, but he was gone and there was no sign of struggle. I went to Godric's Hollow, but it was too late. I caught sight of the traitor slipping away from the ruins of the house and followed him."

"You didn't check the house?" Harry asked the question as much to clarify events as to give the convict a chance to settle himself. Harry was actually surprised the man appeared so sane after so many years trapped in Azkaban.

Black shook his head. "I was consumed with thoughts of revenge."

"You caught up to him." Blaise prompted the man this time; the fact was common knowledge from the news of that time.

"I did." Black inclined his head at Blaise, appearing quite the gentleman. "It had been a long chase, but I did. But Peter was waiting for me, it was a trap."

Anger swelled through Black again, a living and tangible thing. "We had trusted him! I had trusted him!" His voice trailed off. "If I hadn't encouraged them to switch they could still be alive."

It took Black a few deep breaths in which everyone stayed silent so he could collect himself before he could continue. "If I hadn't fallen for Peter's trap…he yelled there in front of all those witnesses that I had betrayed Lily and James and then everything was exploding, he had to have a wand hidden behind his back. I was dazed, trying to rise from where the explosion had thrown me when I saw Peter pull a knife, cut off a finger, and transform to disappear down the sewers. He had played us all so well, we had fallen for his pathetic bumbling when all the time he had been kissing up to the Dark Lord. He was the spy within our midst."

Remus let out a rough laugh. "And so somehow you break out of Azkaban after all these years with this far fetched tale to take revenge. How would you have even known what rat to look for much less believe it's this rat that has been spending years at Hogwarts under Albus' nose?"

Silently Black reached into the ragged robes covering his thin frame, pulling out a crumpled section torn from a newspaper. It was one of the articles that had run during the summer featuring the grief stricken Weasley's.

"The boy's shoulder." Black handed the clipping over, keeping a wary eye on their reactions. "Look at the paw."

Harry, Blaise, and Remus looked from the clipping to the dazed rat still hanging from Remus' hand.

"And the biggest piece they found was his finger." Blaise said, grabbing at the rat to examine its paw closer. "It's missing a toe. Is there any way to get absolute proof that this is Peter? It could be an unlikely coincidence."

"There is a spell." Remus spoke slowly. "If it is indeed Peter he'll be forced to transform back, if not there will be no harm done."

"Do it then." Harry commanded. "It's the easiest way to see if Black's telling the truth."

Remus turned his wand on the rat along with Black and they uttered the spell together as if they were still the best of friends used to doing everything together. The rat, which had begun to struggle again began to twist and contort until it grew into the shape of a quivering man. Immediately Remus grabbed onto him.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well, it looks like Black was telling the truth."

Peter homed in on Harry. "Harry…Harry…you can't believe this…not you Harry. He betrayed them…Lily…James…"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Black roared. "How dare you speak to Harry after what you've done! I'll—"

Things looked ready to start spiraling downhill out of control so Harry stepped in once again, authority filling his voice. "Enough! Pettigrew, Black, we're taking you both up to Hogwarts for formal questioning. I don't think Black will try to escape, but you Pettigrew look to be facing some serious accusations and will be tied on the way back. Try and escape and you won't like the consequences."

A hissing came from the floor, distracting them all.

_"If he changesss can I eat him Ssspeaker?"_

With surprising strength, or perhaps just slippery movement, Pettigrew used the distraction to twist free from Remus' grasp. "No, I won't go—I can't."

Pettigrew's body shrank to a rat faster than he had become a human, it was almost as if his body found the rat form to be more natural, and Harry reacted. In his mind Pettigrew had just admitted his guilt by transforming and he no longer had to stay his hand. In two quick steps Harry had moved forward and stooped to scoop up the fleeing rat as the last of Peter's human limbs disappeared, his dagger flashing in his hand to bite through the furry little throat. Death was near immediate and Harry quickly dropped the furry form to the floorboards.

"_No_." Harry hissed back to his snake as the dead rat turned back into an equally dead man, not bothering to wonder how she had managed to get out here. "_Hisss__ tassste would not be sssweet._"

"You—" Both Remus and Black were staring at Harry in shock.

"Yes I can speak to snakes."

Looking faint Remus sank to a chair. "That's surprising too, but I can't believe you just killed him. You killed Peter."

Harry shrugged, the damage was done. "I warned him."

Blaise glanced between the shocked men and Harry. "What are we doing with the body?"

"We can't take him to the castle now." Harry tapped his foot as he thought. "We'll have to clear Black some other way. Burning would create too much of a smell."

"How about the forest?" Blaise's calm in discussion the disposal of Peter's body shocked the two men further. "We can maul the body up and leave it to be found."

Harry shook his head. "Too much of a chance that they'll blame Professor Lupin, especially at this time of the month. What about those spider things we saw in the forest. They like flesh."

Blaise shuddered, remembering that run in. "Only if we dump him from the sky so we don't have to get too close ourselves."

Harry nodded. "Done. We'll grab brooms from the Quidditch field when we leave."

"You can't be serious?" Remus asked in disbelief. "You killed him and now you're going to just calmly dispose of the body and make it as if nothing ever happened."

Black was surprisingly silent on the entire matter, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes now that he had gotten over his shock.

Harry faced Remus without flinching. "What's done is done. I do not love killing, but I have been taught not to hesitate if that is what's necessary. I'm not an innocent child, Professor, and neither is Blaise. Now we have a body to dispose of and Black needs to make plans to lay low until we can find a way to prove his story since Pettigrew inconvenienced us by disobeying."

"There are caves around here I can stay in." Black spoke up. "People are always willing to feed a stray and I can keep looking for proof around here."

Harry looked consideringly at Black. "No, too risky."

"I don't have anywhere else." Black admitted. "My face is too well known in both worlds and I can't run around as a grim in the muggle world. I refuse to go to the pound again."

"You'll come to my home." Harry had made his decision. "You as well Professor, should you wish to catch up. You will have to make it there on your own, but we can shelter you once you arrive if you pass my father's inspection."

Remus made a strangled sound and everyone turned to look at him. Black realized what was happening immediately despite the fact that it had been many years since he last saw the transformation.

"Get out of here." Black whispered. "He's changing. The Wolfsbane should let him keep him mind, but I won't risk your safety on chance. I'll keep him busy if he's not safe to be around. Go."

"You should come with us." Harry pointed out as he levitated Pettigrew's corpse and floated it to the door as he grabbed up Malandra so she wasn't left behind. "One animagus isn't much against a werewolf."

Black smiled and shoved Harry towards the trap door behind Blaise. "I wouldn't be much of a godfather if I didn't at least try. Don't come back here. Send word through Remus if we need to talk before you leave the school, but I accept your offer. I'll see you sometime this summer."

The trap door swung closed after Black's last words, saving Harry from answering.

"Let's dump this body and get to bed." Blaise put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "We probably should grab Granger on our way back too, just in case."

… … … … …

Harry and Blaise idly scanned the crowd as they prepared to board the Hogwarts express for the trip home and sure enough spotted Professor Lupin standing next to a huge black dog. The two groups inclined their heads at each other in acknowledgement but didn't meet up.

All plans were already in place, directions and questions having been passed through Remus as he went to the Shrieking Shack for his transformations in order to avoid suspicious activity. It would be a week or so, perhaps longer, before Remus and Sirius showed up at the Manor though. The two men intended for Sirius to be spotted in a few far away places to make it look like Black had skipped out of England before doubling back. Briefly, as the long train ride began Harry reflected back on the rest of that night.

He and Blaise had swiftly run through the tunnel with their burden, a sense of urgency filling them even though they thought Remus would be fine. After emerging from the tunnel they had stopped long enough to levitate Hermione next to Peter's corpse and sneak across the grounds to the Quidditch field. Still levitation the two, Harry and Blaise had grabbed up two of the sturdier school brooms and soared out over the Forbidden Forest. Once over the spider's web they had dumped Peter's body into the mass of clicking pinchers below and headed back to replace the brooms. To further cover their tracks they had gone back to where they had stunned Hermione, thankfully there was no sign of a furry Remus, and woke her up so that she never knew she had been moved. They had consoled her and walked her back to the castle as if no time had passed, gently hinting that she would do better not to say anything or she could face some serious charges—like attempted to interfere with Ministry law and abuse of time-travel—and could face serious consequences from the Headmaster for being out after curfew during such tense times with Black on the loose. She had never questioned what they were doing out once she had these thoughts to occupy her mind.

Severus had been waiting up for them, the party looked to have would down just before they had gotten back and they suspected that Severus had forced the issue when they hadn't returned. Severus had just looked them over to make sure they were fine, nodded once, and said he would speak to them in the morning. They had dutifully reported in and then spent the rest of the morning in preparation to leave. Blaise caught Harry's eye and he knew she had been thinking along the same lines.

"Chess?" He offered, knowing that it was going to be a long ride home.

"Sure." She grinned back. "We can play exploding snap later when the twins come by too."

After that time seemed to pass quickly until they were pulling up into Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station.

"Almost home." Blaise whispered happily as they stepped off the train, but Harry felt himself tense and an uneasy feeling filled his gut.

Out of habit Harry had scanned the crowded station, immediately picking out Trevor, Vasile, and Nara—but not his father. His eyes swept over the rest of the station, not allowing himself to stop with just the small, familiar group and he noticed six more guards in the immediate area. Harry had no doubt that there would also be more out in the station proper and possibly even the parking lot. There was never the need for this much man power to pick them up, not unless something had gone seriously bad.

"Something's wrong." He whispered urgently to Blaise as he grabbed hold of her arm. "Too many guards around and my dad's not here."

Harry's feet quickened as he pushed through the crowd, Blaise pulled along in his wake.

"What's wrong?" Dread had taken a hold of Harry and the questions nearly fled from his lips, uncaring if anyone nearby was taking the opportunity to listen. "What's happened? Where's my dad?"

Trevor shook his head and Harry could easily read the deep sorrow hidden in the eyes of his father's second in command. "Not here Harry. Wait until we're home or at least the car."

"Where's my dad?" Harry couldn't—wouldn't—let the question drop.

"Harry, please—" Trevor's voice was wretched and Harry whirled on Vasile.

"Tell me!"

Harry made it a demand, knowing that the Dagger would have to answer him even if Trevor commanded otherwise. A pained look crossed Vasile's face despite the fact that only a few days ago he had been volunteering to go to Hogwarts and fetch Harry.

"He—" Vasile took a deep breath, knowing he had to say it. "Manuel's in a coma."

Harry's eyes shuttered and he briefly swayed but managed to stay upright, barely feeling as Blaise's hand gripped his arm in a hard hold as a little moan escaped her. In that instant Harry's whole world had changed, duty had fallen heavily upon his young shoulders. He knew what was required of him now. That still didn't stop the small whispered plea from escaping.

"Dad."

* * *

Posted On: June 24, 2008


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